Treatment of persistent self-injurious behavior in rhesus monkeys through socialization: a preliminary report

This paper is a retrospective report describing outcomes for six male rhesus monkeys, each with a history of persistent self-injurious behavior (SIB), after their social introduction to female rhesus monkeys. Pairing procedures for five of the six male primates were implemented after surgical vasectomy. One male had previous pairing experience with a female prior to vasectomy resulting in an unplanned pregnancy. This male was re-socialized with his former female partner after surgery. The SIB-related medical histories of the males before and after the pairings are presented. One goal for promoting pair-housing of chronic SIB male monkeys with female monkeys was to determine whether this intervention would function to reduce or eliminate the expression of SIB and thus provide enhanced socialization opportunities for previously singly housed animals.