A behavioral management approach to caring for great apes (2001)

Whittaker, M., Laule, G., Perman, J. et al.

Abstract

Over the past 10 years, the program at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center has successfully met behavioral management goals and carefully addressed facility and operational concerns. The longstanding success of this 10 year program validates the need to implement comprehensive behavioral management systems. The program developed at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, under the direction and vision of Dr. Keeling, is a good model on which other research centers, laboratories, and zoological parks may base their individual program development. Our goal is to continue to improve captive ape's well-being, which has been described as the ability to respond and adjust to changing situations. M.D. Anderson's program gives evidence that there does not exist a more effective, flexible, and suitable means to achieve this goal than comprehensive behavioral management.