Social Housing & Companionship

Pair formation and reintroduction of temporarily separated partners: A discussion on the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum

To sum up, it seems advisable to monitor the reintroduction of temporarily separated partners very carefully, and if possible, to allow the animals to first recognize each other before they are reunited as a pair. There is no good reason...

Year Published: 2006Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Anonymous 2006. Pair formation and reintroduction of temporarily separated partners: A discussion on the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum. Laboratory Primate Newsletter 45(1), 11-12.

Successful formation and husbandry of an all-male group of western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) at Louisville Zoo’s Gorilla Forest

Year Published: 2006Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Elsner, R. 2006. Successful formation and husbandry of an all-male group of western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) at Louisville Zoo's Gorilla Forest. American Zoo And Aquarium Association [AZA] Annual Conference Proceedings, 1-8.

The form and function of social bonds among wild male chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) in the Kibale National Park, Uganda

Year Published: 2006Topics: Natural Behavior, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Chimpanzee, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Duffy, K. G. 2006. The form and function of social bonds among wild male chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) in the Kibale National Park, Uganda. International Journal of Primatology 27(Supplement), 533.

Postsurgical pairing: a discussion by the Refinement & Enrichment Forum

Our experience-based discussion suggests that social animals benefit from compatible companionship during post-operative recovery. The traditional practice of keeping animals alone in an unfamiliar environment after surgery increases the subjects surgery-associated stress. Providing a familiar, compatible companion is likely to...

Year Published: 2006Topics: Social Housing & Companionship, Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Van Loo, P. L. P., Skoumbourdis, E., Reinhardt, V. 2006. Postsurgical pairing: a discussion by the Refinement & Enrichment Forum. Animal Technology and Welfare 5, 17-19.

Preparing New World monkeys for laboratory research

New World monkeys represent an important but often poorly understood research resource. The relatively small size and low zoonotic risk of these animals make them appealing as research subjects in a number of areas. However, historic portrayal of many of...

Year Published: 2006Topics: Anesthesia & Sedation, Handling, Husbandry & Management, Relocation & Transport, Restraint, Social Housing & Companionship, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Squirrel Monkey

Citation: Tardif, S. D., Bales, K., Williams, L. et al. 2006. Preparing New World monkeys for laboratory research. ILAR Journal 47(4), 307-315.

Presence of a privacy divider increases proximity in pair-housed rhesus monkeys

We observed twenty-five pairs of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) both with and without the presence of a privacy divider. Monkeys spent significantly more time in the same half of the pair-cage when the divider was in place. Subjects were fifty...

Year Published: 2007Topics: Housing, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Basile, B. M., Hampton, R. R., Chaudhry, A. M. et al. 2007. Presence of a privacy divider increases proximity in pair-housed rhesus monkeys. Animal Welfare 16(1), 37-39.

Enrichment and primate centers: Closing the gap between research and practice

Facilities with thorough IACUC reviews of enrichment issues provided social housing for a significantly larger proportion of primates in biomedical research studies than did those with rare IACUC reviews.

Year Published: 2007Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Baker, K. C. 2007. Enrichment and primate centers: Closing the gap between research and practice. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 10(1), 49-54.

Pair-Housed Monkeys with Head Cap Implants

Our university tries to pair all rhesus macaques regardless of cranial implants. Normally the pairs are established before they have undergone surgery for head caps, but we have successfully paired primates after surgery as well. Over a period of ten...

Year Published: 2007Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Anonymous 2007. Pair-Housed Monkeys with Head Cap Implants. In: Making Lives Easier for Animals in Research Labs: Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum. Baumans, V., Coke, C., Green, J., Moreau, E., Morton, D., Patterson-Kane, E., Reinhardt, A., Reinhardt, V., Van Loo, P. (eds), 146-147. Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, DC.

Providing single rabbits with social contact and choice in activities

Perforated cage deviders are used to provide non-contact communication.

Year Published: 2007Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Kirby, H. 2007. Providing single rabbits with social contact and choice in activities. Tech Talk [The Newsletter for Laboratory Animal Science Technicians] 12(2), 1-2.

A renewed look at laboratory rodent housing and management

In this article, recent publications are examined to determine the potential impact of new scientific evidence on current practices for the housing and care of laboratory rodents. The discussion points out recent advances in technology and new knowledge of the...

Year Published: 2006Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Gonder, J. C., Laber, K. 2007. A renewed look at laboratory rodent housing and management. ILAR Journal 48(1), 29-46.