Compairing pair-housing options for caged rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) (2005)

Baker, K. C., Bloomsmith, M., Schoof, V. et al.

Abstract

Baseline behavioral data were collected on 20 singly-housed adult rhesus macaques, 6 males and 14 females, all mother reared. Isosexual pairs were then formed, and pairs were housed in three form of pair caging balanced for order (6-8 weeks per phase): FC (full contact: sharing adjacent cages), PC (protected contact: access through perforated panels), and IC (intermittent contact: full pairings separated several days/week). While all forms of pair housing increased affiliative behavior, levels were lower in the protected contact than full contact or intermittent contact housing condition. Levels of inactivity and anxiety-related behaviors were higher in the protected than in the full contact or intermittent contact condition, and full contact reduced anxiety-related behaviors from baseline. Full contact and intermittent contact decreased inactivity and increased aggression which occurred at higher level in the intermittent than in the partial contact housing condition. Abnormal behavior was affected only in females, with a decrease from baseline only in the intermittent, and higher levels in the partial than in the full contact condition.Results suggest that periodic separation may not detract from the benefits of pair housing for rhesus macaques, but protected contact housing may, balanced only by decreased aggression.