ABSTRACT
The order Primates comprises 500 species, who show diversity in anatomy, feeding ecology, social structure, and habitat type. At the zoo, examples from across the order (great and lesser apes, Old World and New World monkeys, and prosimians) are commonly kept. The characteristic traits of primates, their large brains, extended life histories, complex social interactions, complex extractive foraging, hand, foot, and locomotory adaptations, as well as additional species-specific adaptations, must inform husbandry practice if captive primates are to experience good welfare. Primates are active, enduring animals who readily learn and busy themselves, making a rewarding and potentially educational focus for zoo visitors. They are motivated to behave in ways that align with their evolution and ecology. This chapter advocates an approach to husbandry that prioritises primate cognition and autonomy in husbandry planning and relates captive needs to wild ecology by allowing anatomical and behavioural adaptations to be utilised or expressed.
