Resocialisation of rhesus macaquesThe Housing of Non-Human Primates Used for Experimental Research and Other Scientific Purposes: Issues for Consideration (1997)

Louwerse, A. L., Kos, T., van Hooff, J. A. R. A. M.

Abstract

The new legislation on housing and husbandry of non-human primates forces research institutes to house formerly single caged experimental animals in social groups. Due to the poor ethological expertise in medical research centres and because singly housed experimental animals lack social skills, the first resocialisation projects were rather unsuccessful. Last summer the B.P.R.C. collaborated with the Ethology department of the Utrecht University on a program to resocialise adult experimental animals. An effort has been made to create such groups, not only to increase the well-being of the monkeys, but also to prevent the importation of non-human primates from breeding centres in source countries. Guidelines were established in order to form stable social breeding groups. Important aspects of these guidelines were species specific behavioural information and ethological training of biotechnical personel. Using this protocol, the first new breeding group was established, existing of 7 adult unrelated females and one male. Behavioural observations made of this first resocialisation suggest that collaboration between medical and behavioural research institutes will contribute to the formation of more of these stable social breeding groups in the future.