Chapter 4.3. Feeding Enrichment (2007)

LAREF [Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum]

Abstract

I have given whole watermelons to group-housed rhesus, cynos, bonnet and stump-tailed macaques for several years without noticeable adverse effects. It would be a waste of time to cut the melons into small pieces. The monkeys first gnaw a hole into the rind and then dig into the soft and juicy part. They really like this and are kept busy until the last morsel has been eaten. They usually discard the rind, but before they do so they thoroughly remove any soft material and eat it. This usually creates quite a mess, but I dont mind cleaning it up, because the animals enjoy this type of feeding enrichment so much.We give whole pumpkins to rhesus and cynos in both single- and group-housed environments. I would say that this is one of the most effective foraging device we have ever given our animals. All of them spent hours processing their pumpkin!I give whole corn with the husk to our pair- and group-housed rhesus and baboons. They love it, and I enjoy observing them peel and eat, leaving a big mess after they have finished. They gnaw the cob into little pieces that finally fall through the grid floor on the pans. I cannot say whether they actually also eat pieces of the cob, but we have never encountered any health-related problem. I don't mind cleaning up the mess; its worth the treat!We use corn on the cob for all our caged cynos, rhesus and vervets. The animals give the impression that they love processing and eating the corn. They typically pick the kennels both with their hands and their teeth. When they are done, they proceed gnawing on the cob. I dont know if they actually ingest pieces of it. Even if they do, we have never encountered any clinical problems.