Psychological Well-Being of Laboratory Primates at Oregon Regional Primate Research Center (2001)

Shively, C. A.

Abstract

I was exposed to no protocols that required social isolation during my visit to the ORPRC. Rather, investigators were not giving priority to the social needs of the monkeys. For example, monkeys in virus studies at other institutions are housed socially with animals with similar virus load. Animals on timed mating protocol do not need to be housed alone. Animals in protocols requiring food restriction can be pair housed and separated from cagemates for 8 hrs during the day when food is accessible. They can be socially housed the other 16 hrs/day. .. The IACUC should use its authority to decline approval of protocols that do not demonstrate a detailed defense of single caging, or enrichment plan. ...Approval of any current protocols resulting in any degree of social deprivation to primates under 3 yrs of age should be immediately suspended upon review by the IACUC. .. We have observed lower body weights in animals housed in lower tier cages. In my laboratory we routinely rotate animals between bottom and top tiers at the time of cage wash. Dr. Judy Cameron described a method of identifying animals particularly sensitive to stress that may be unsuitable for lower tier housing. .. All instances in which animals are in cages that do not face conspecifics should be immediately eliminated. .. Eliminate the housing of infants alone. .. Once socially housing is approved, no monkeys assigned to that IACUC protocol should be housed in single cages. Socially housed animals should not be removed from their social situation without explicit permission of the IACUC.