ENVIRONMENTAL ENRICHMENT PROGRAM

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The environmental enrichment and behavioral research programs continued to progress in 2007. An additional environmental enrichment technician position was created to support an enhanced enrichment program. Continued progress was made in increasing the use of social housing for research animals and the implementation of a variety of enrichment techniques. Important refinement to social management were 1) the transfer of monkey from the same field cages directly into pairs when moved to caging for research assignment, and 2) maintenance of caged animals awaiting research protocol assignment in pairs. In addition, determination of dominance hierarchies in field cages has been vastly accelerated and behavioral observations of breeding groups are generating more information for guiding social management. Approximately 200 foraging devices have been retrofitted onto existing cages. Positive reinforcement training methods were incorporated into several research projects and husbandry procedures were modified to reduce the need for physical or chemical restraint. Occupants of all corncribs and many field cages and runs have been trained to enter catch chutes. Enrichment program staff systematically contribute to new employee training for all husbandry staff. The Environmental Enrichment and Behavioral Research Coordinator conducts collaborative research with scientists and graduate students in the Department of Pharmacology at the Tulane University School of Medicine, the Tulane University Center for Gene Therapy, the Department of Psychology at Southeastern Louisiana University, and the Department of Animal Resources at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center.