PRIMATE ENRICHMENT: BEHAV MGMT OF CHIMPANZEES: CAPTIVE ENVIRONMENT ON WELL BEING

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Understanding the influence of the captive environment on the well-being of captive primates is critical for guiding management decisions and facility design. This project contributes to our understanding of the behavioral consequences of environmental variations both in and outside the primary enclosure. During the past year, multiple measures of behavioral well-being were used to determine the validity of displacement behaviors as indicators of anxiety in chimpanzees and the value of straw and forage material in improving the behavior of chimpanzees housed indoors in small groups. Research is ongoing regarding 1) patterns of and functions of behavior during chimpanzee introductions, 2) the behavioral profiles of aging chimpanzees and singly-caged monkeys with and without visual access to conspecifics, 3) the value of mirrors as enrichment to monkeys, outdoor access for chimpanzees, and positive human interaction to chimpanzees, and 4) the relationship between wounding a nd group size in chimpanzees. This project contributes significantly to our ability to effectively manage captive primates and promote species-appropriate and healthy behaviors in a biomedical setting.