Venipuncture and vaginal swabbing in an enclosure occupied by a mixed-sex group of stumptailed macacaques (Macaca arctoides) (1982)

Bunyak, S. C., Harvey, N. C., Rhine, R. J. et al.

Abstract

Training technique is described. Eight female stump-tailed macaques (M. arctoides) who lived with six adult males were rewarded with fresh fruit after being netted against the enclosure wire while a cotton-tipped swab was inserted in the vagina, gently rotated and removed. By the end of five training sessions it was no longer necessary to net and restrain the females. Indeed, some of the females began voluntarily to approach the researcher and present for vaginal swabbing. Other females had to be cornered and gently contacted on the hips before they would accept as swab, often while holding the cage wire. The authors underline, that the training reduced the number of personnel [from 3-2] and the amount of time [from 45 to 20 minutes] needed to swab all females. Some of the [group-housed] females began voluntarily to approach the researcher and present for vaginal swabbing. Without using the restraining device blood samples were obtained.