Social Housing
Most primate species are highly social. That means they spend a large portion of their day engaging in social interactions. By expressing a plethora of social behaviors, primates form new bonds, maintain old ones, construct dominance hierarchies, and breed and reproduce. In a nutshell, sociality is a key component of primate fitness. It is, therefore, no surprise that primates are motivated to express social behaviors.
Housing nonhuman primates in a compatible social setting is a linchpin of a successful Behavioral Management program and is therefore the default form of housing at the CNPRC. A large body of evidence suggests social housing is a very effective strategy for promoting well-being.
The majority of the nonhuman primates at the CNPRC are outdoor housed rhesus macaques living in large multi-male, multi-female, intergenerational groups. Behavioral Management Staff form new social groups that reflect the natural matrilineal structure of this species. Such groups provide the fullest range of social experiences, including parenting, alliances, and intergenerational interactions, which have been demonstrated to serve as potent protection against the development of behavioral pathologies. Forming and maintaining social groups is a painstaking process in which the most promising social configurations are identified based on the animals’ personalities, matriline affiliation, and male-to-female ratio, among other factors. Using scientific methodologies, Behavioral Management Staff monitor each group to gain knowledge about dominance hierarchies, group cohesiveness, and individual psychological health. The data are then used to inform management decisions and to support ongoing research.
The Behavioral Management Department manages the social aspect of indoor-housed nonhuman primates (rhesus macaques, long-tailed macaques, and titi monkeys). Among indoor-housed nonhuman primates, the majority of social groupings consist of pairs, which permit activities critical to primate well-being such as grooming and other forms of social contact. Behavioral Management Staff identify animals in need of a social partner, and based on previous studies and our research, match animals that are likely to be compatible with each other. Social introduction of prospective partners is done by Behavioral Management Staff gradually and carefully to ensure the pair is thriving and both animals benefit from their new social environment. Once pairs are formed, they are closely monitored using scientific techniques, and their behavioral data are collected. These data are analyzed to help refine the process even more and promote the primates’ welfare.