Chapter 8.7. Swimming Pool for Macaques (2007)

LAREF [Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum]

Abstract

We give our pair-housed cynos bathtubs, filled with 30 to 40 cm deep warm water, a few times a week, and have never encountered any problems other than a lot of splashing. Some monkeys take luxurious baths, others climb a perch and jump into the water, others sit on the side walls and drag their hands in the water, and others wash their fruit in the water. Usually the monkeys make a real mess within the first half hour, and yes they do urinate/defecate in the water. We empty the tubs after about two hours, if the monkeys havent done it already themselves - which is often the case.There are a few published articles on the use of swimming pools for rhesus, long-tailed and Japanese macaques. None of these papers mention any safety or hygienic problems.