Primate Behaviour /zoology /Animal welfare what means the primate behavior in captivity? There are so many complex definitions, but simply primate behavior in captivity means that Primate who live under human control or care are in captivity. Mainly, Captivity can be used as different ways, The keeping primates in private homes as domesticated animals (livestock, pets) , In zoos as wild animals , In circuses, In laboratories as experimental models & Workers as coconut husk removers & other human entertainment ways. So not only the primates we should have care about all the captive animal. Because, that is our Responsibility if we taken them under captive conditions for our purposes. Otherwise captivity can be turned them in to the many health problems like zoochosis. zoochosis means that form of psychosis that develops in animals held captive in zoos. However they also have animal rights like we have human rights that also persuade people, to do a good care for them.The changes can be divided into 02 types of behaviours. One is stereotypic behaviours and other one is the undesirable behavior.Mainly this abnormal behavioral changes occurs in captivity when they get depressed and then, many changes of their psychological health can be occurred & After that many behavioral problems can be occurred .so, These are signs that we could detected otherwise hard to determine because we cant ask animals.So There there are many complex and modern methods to fix this problem. these methods mainly focused on two ways. Drugs AND ENRICHMENT works. Both methods are widely used in zoos. Among these most popular method is enrichment programmes. Using tools and toys, music & different sounds , increase space & make changes in external environment and Increase the variety of food types . this enrichment has been seen to improve brain development and function and enhance the learning &memory and that helps to improve animals’s interaction with its environment and that also to gives them some exercises and also enhance their well being. what means primate behaviour in captivity? Why should we care about them? What changes in captivity? Why behavioural changes occur in captivity? How can we fix this? How to enrich primates? Why enrichment is important ? Advantages and disadvantages of captivity

1. Primate
Behaviour
in Captivity
Dinithi Vihanga De Silva

2. Content
what means primate behaviour in captivity?
Why should we care about them?
What changes in captivity?
Why behavioural changes occur in captivity?
How can we fix this?
 How to enrich primates?
Why enrichment is important ?
Advantages and disadvantages of captivity

3. Primate who live under
human control or care
are in captivity.
what means primate behaviour in
captivity?

4. Mainly, Captivity can be used as different ways,
I. The keeping primates in private homes as domesticated animals
(livestock, pets)
II. In zoos as wild animals
III. In circuses
IV. In laboratories as experimental models
V. Workers as coconut husk removers & other human entertainment
ways

5. Figure 01- keeping primates in different ways.

6.  Responsibility
 Animal rights
 Obvious reasons (health, welfare, safety etc.)
 Health problems ( mainly zoochosis)
 Understand what is a wild condition and a captive condition
 Economic implications
Why should we care about them?

7. 01) Stereotypic behaviours
Most are the repetitive behaviour with no
apparent goal or function
Ex:
 floating limb
 Self biting, self clasping
 Self hugging
 stereotypic pacing.
 eye-rolling
 harmful Hair/feather plucking,
 regurgitation & reingestion (called Zoochosis)
 Pacing Swaying
 Sucking toes
 Bar biting
What changes in captivity?
Stereotypic ( abnormal) & undesirable behaviours can be occurred. ( Christian P. Howell,
Susan M. Cheyne. (2019)
Figure 02 – stereotypic behaviours

8. 02)undesirable behaviour
That has a detrimental effect( physically & mentally)
on primates.
 autoerotic stimulation
 Begging
 Throwing rocks, feces or food
 Self injury
Figure 03 - undesirable behaviours

9.  General consensus is poor psychological health Animals in captivity evolved
in dynamic, rich environments Captivity does not provide this in many
circumstances Hard to determine because we can't ask animals.
 Mainly this abnormal behavioural changes occurs in captivity when they get
depressed and many behavioural problems. These are signs that we could
detected. ((Broom DM and Johnson KG (1993), Rushen J and Mason G J (2006))
Why behavioural changes occur in captivity?

10. How can we fix this?
 Drugs - Drugs have widespread use in zoos
 Enrichment works - There are many more methods.
- Includes primate welfare.
- Behavioural and environmental enrichment
programs. (Albelda, N., & Joel, D. (2012a).

11. How to enrich
primates?
• Using tools and toys
• Using music & different sounds
• Environmental enrichment –
increase space & make changes
in external environment etc.
• Increase the variety of food types
. (Widman, D.R., Abrahamsen, G.C. and
Rosellini, R.A., 1992. Shepherdson et al.
(1989a)
Figure 04
Figure 05
Figure 06
Figure 07

12. Why enrichment is important ?
 can enhance the zoo environment for primates
 Can encouraging them to explore and interact with their
surroundings
 can enhance learning and memory
 Can improve primate’s interaction with its environment.
 These factors all combine to reduce an animal’s fear response
or perceived stress level promoting reproduction due to
increased well- being.
Figure 08 – enrichment works

13. Advantages of captivity
 Prevent extinction
 provide Safe place
 Medical care and food
 Prevent to be hunted
Figure 09 – provide safe place
Figure 10 – provide medical care

14. Disadvantages of captivity
 Same place & limited space
 Experiments
 Stress
 Climate
 Premature death
Figure 11 – limited space
Figure 12 – use them to experiments

15. Conclusions
• Captivity can occur the behavioural and mental changes.
• Stereotypies ( behavioural changes) are one of the most commonly used
indicators of poor welfare in captive primates.
• In captivity, primates can get stereotypic behaviours & that are different than
normal animals.
• There are many methods to reduce and fix them to their normal behaviour
again.
• Environmental enrichment programs are most common method to enrich the
primates that can increase the primate well-being.

16. .
 Rushen J and Mason G J (2006) A decade-or-more’s progress in understanding stereotypic behaviour EN: Mason G J and Rushen J (Eds.)
Stereotypic Animal Behaviour. Fundamentals and Applications to Welfare, 2ª Ed. CAB International, Wallingford.
 Mason G J (2006) Stereotypic behaviour in captive animals: fundamentals and implications for welfare and beyond EN: Mason G J and Rushen
J (Eds.) Stereotypic Animal Behaviour. Fundamentals and Applications to Welfare, 2ª Ed. CAB International, Wallingford.
 Novak, M. A., & Suomi, S. J. (1988). Psychological well-being of primates in captivity. American Psychologist, 43(10), 765–773.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ruth_Newberry/publication/233822156_Environmental_enrichment_Increasing_the_biological_relevance_
of_captive_environments/links/5b81ce46299bf1d5a7289d67/Environmental-enrichment-Increasing-the-biological-relevance-of-captive-
environments.pdf
 Shepherdson, D., Bemment, N., Carman, M. and Reynolds, S., 1989a.Auditory enrichment for Lar gibbons Hylobates lar at London Zoo. lnt. Zoo
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 Howell, C.P. and Cheyne, S.M., 2019.Complexities of using wild versus captive activity budget comparisons for assessing captive primate
welfare. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 22(1), pp.78-96.
 MANTECA, X. and SALAS, M., Stereotypies as animal welfare indicators.
 Albelda, N. and Joel, D., 2012.Animal models of obsessive-compulsive disorder:exploring pharmacology and neural substrates. Neuroscience
& Biobehavioral Reviews, 36(1), pp.47-63.
 (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236884259_Stereotypies_in_Captive_Primates_and_the_Use_of_Inositol_Lessons_from_Obsessive-
Compulsive_Disorder_in_Humans
 Horsey, G.R., 2005.How does the zoo environment affect the behaviour of captive primates?. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 90(2), pp.107-
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 Mallapur, A. and Choudhury, B.C., 2003. Behavioral abnormalities in captive nonhuman primates. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science,
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References:

17. Acknowledgement

18. Thank you