The reduction of abnormal behaviors in individually housed rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) with a foraging/grooming board

Abstract

A new environmental enrichment device, termed a “foraging/grooming board,” was presented to 8 individually housed rhesus monkeys for the explicit purpose of reducing the level of aberrant behaviors manifested by these animals. The device, consisting of a piece of plexiglass covered with artificial fleece, had particles of food treats rubbed into it and was attached to the outside of each animal's home cage. All animals foraged from the board to the point that a significant reduction in the level of abnormal behavior was noted. Most animals also groomed the fleece covering the board, utilizing the same motor patterns that would be directed toward grooming another monkey. These boards are inexpensive to construct and easy to sanitize, and do not require placing animal facility personnel at risk to maintain them.

Straw and forage material ameliorate abnormal behaviors in adult chimpanzees

“…Results of this study were in agreement with those of previous studies showing that habituation does not occur with enrichment techniques involving foraging tasks [Bayne et al, 1991;Bloom and Cook, 1989;Bloomstrand et al, 1986;Bryant et al, 1988], unlike some other techniques, particularly simple toys [Bloomsmith et al, 1990;Brent et al, 1989;Bryant et al, 1988;Line et al, 1991;Paquette and Prescott, 1988;Pruetz and Bloomsmith, 1992]. In fact, there was an increase in use over time from 7.8% to 12.0%, albeit not to a level of statistical significance.…”

Environmental enrichment of brown capuchins (Cebus apella): Behavioral and plasma and fecal cortisol measures of effectiveness

“…Indeed, for all captive primates, provision of EE through increasing the complexity of the physical environment is the easiest technique. The use of foraging devices, for example, can enhance the investigation and manipulation of toys and other novel objects [Westergaard & Fragaszy, 1985;Bayne et al, 1991]. Perches appear to be effective in increasing gross motor activity [Wolff, 1989] and are preferred by arboreal nonhuman primates [O'Neill, 1988].…”

“…Based solely on numbers used in research, EE of this species should be examined, especially if substandard PWB affects research data. Yet EE for this genus has been relatively seldom studied, and usually few aspects of EE have been addressed in any one study [Westergaard & Fragaszy, 1985;Anderson & Roeder, 1989;Collinge, 1989;Hayes, 1990;Visalbergi & Vitale, 1991;Bayne et al, 1991;Combrette & Anderson, 1991;Fragaszy & Adams-Curtis, 1991; Ludesman primate (adult weight 2.5-4 kg), with intelligence and manipulative ability unmatched by other New World (NW) primate genera [Parker & Gibson, 1977]. Despite an evolutionary history that has been distinct from Old World (OW) monkeys and apes for a period exceeding 35 million years, capuchin cognition, brain size, life span, locomotion, morphological and behavioral development, and social behavior and organization are reminiscent of and convergent upon OW taxa [Visalberghi & McGrew, 1997].…”

Long‐term use of televisions, balls, and mirrors as enrichment for paired and singly caged chimpanzees

“…Complex environmental changes and foraging tasks have been shown to elicit high levels of use for many months [Bayne et al, 1991;Boccia, 1989;Westergaard & Fragaszy, 19851. Although juveniles may maintain relatively high levels of manipulation of some objects [Weed et al, 19941, many subjects habituate rather quickly to simple cage toys, and use of the toy decreases as novelty diminishes.…”