Commentary: Thinking like a monkey - primatomorphizing an environmental enrichment program (1993)

Sokol, K. A.

Abstract

We were also improving our own state of mind because this program was one of the few purely positive and pleasurable aspects of our work in the laboratory setting. ... Solitary confinement is a severe punishment even for monkeys. ... Only written scientific justification from the investigator or adverse health problems described by the staff veterinarian should exempt a monkey from the program. We encouraged animal caretakers ... to visit the [single-housed] animals at times other than their normal routines to reinforce positive interactions and associations. ... Instead of identifying the monkeys by just a tattoo number, we gave them names. Thus, we could refer to them as individuals and better identify them for health considerations.