ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses many of the behavioral management tools, including socialization, environmental enrichment, and positive reinforcement training (PRT). It provides the recommendations for a successful macaque behavioral management program, recognizing that limitations common to most primate facilities often impact management decisions. Macaca is the most geographically widespread nonhuman primate (NHP) genus, and members of this taxon can be found in their natural habitat throughout Asia. Macaque societies are known for having distinct dominance hierarchies within each sex; however, the level of aggression, dominance asymmetries, and formalized relationships vary considerably among species. The three most common macaques in biomedical research—rhesus, cynomolgus, and Japanese—are characterized as having a despotic hierarchy. Major goals for behavioral management programs include reducing stress, increasing the animals' ability to cope with stress, improving health, increasing species-normal behaviors, and decreasing abnormal behaviors. Socialization is generally considered the single most important factor for the welfare of captive primates, particularly early in life.
