Behavioral Management of Deleterious Aggression in Rhesus Macaques



 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This study will advance the current understanding of how structural, occupational, and social enrichment strategies can be implemented proactively and in combination to accomplish meaningful reductions in social aggression and trauma that generate a net cost savings for the CNPRC. Our investigation of social network structure and dynamics using new network measures and techniques will allow us to gain a deeper understanding of whether/how these enrichment strategies accomplish such reductions in trauma and hospitalizations, such as offering methodologies for examining the complexity of social stability, and our utilization of a thorough economic approach to calculate all costs associated with enrichment implementation will allow us to conclude with certainty which enrichment strategies reduce hospitalizations with minimal increases in staff time to yield significant cost savings for the CNPRC, and ultimately improve animal welfare in a cost-effective fashion.