The Link Between Personality, Subjective Well-being, and Welfare in Zoo-Housed Sulawesi Crested Macaques (Macaca nigra)
Publication Type: |
Journal Article |
Year of Publication: |
2023 |
Authors: |
Nia Parry-Howells, Kathy Baker, Holly L. Farmer |
Publication/Journal: |
International Journal of Primatology |
Keywords: |
behaviour, dominance, macaca nigra, personality, subjective well-being, Sulawesi crested macaques, welfare |
ISBN: |
1573-8604 |
Abstract:
Assessing welfare is at the forefront of modern zoo practice, and there is increasing recognition of how certain personality types are at greater risk of poor welfare outcomes than others when exposed to stressors. We investigated the associations between behaviour, welfare, subjective well-being, and personality in two groups of Sulawesi crested macaques (Macaca nigra) (n = 13) housed in a UK zoo using animal caregiver questionnaires and focal behavioural sampling. We used a welfare and subjective well-being questionnaire and previously defined personality dimensions: Sociability, Dominance, and Emotionality. We collected 3,100 min of focal animal sampling to measure behavioural indicators of welfare. Animal caregivers agreed on all 66 questionnaire ratings, except one welfare item called “environmental control.” A Principal Component Analysis suggested that welfare and subjective well-being items formed one component, which we labelled Well-being. Macaques with high Well-being scores performed fewer submissive behaviours and engaged in more play than those with lower scores. Macaques with higher Well-being scores also were rated as having higher Sociability and Dominance scores than those with lower Well-being scores, but we found no significant association between Well-being and Emotionality. Our results are consistent with similar studies of a range of primate species and have practical applications to zoo management. Because Sociability and Dominance are linked to behavioural welfare measures, macaques with low scores on these dimensions may require careful monitoring for welfare issues. The questionnaires used in this study offer a reliable and efficient way to assess captive primate welfare.