Environmental enrichment for vervet monkeys at the Primate Unit: research, rationale and current practice (2004)

Jorgen Seier

Abstract

The mobile cage expansion (exercise cage) and foraging logs used by us are effective enrichment devices because they are associated with a significant reduction of stereotyped behaviour.Some enrichment can reduce stereotypies to below that seen in much larger cages - quality of space is as important as quantity.It is our experience that adult males cannot be housed in pairs since they will seriously attack each other. We have successfully housed two or more adult males together only when they were reared together after weaning at 10 to 12 months. However, it is logistically impossible to produce, for example, 40 males of all the same age and maintain them together for several years until used in studies. Moreover, long term stability is doubtful in all-male groups.