Working with rather than against macaques during blood collection

Area of Science:

• Primate behavior and welfare
• Veterinary medicine
• Animal handling techniques

Background:

• Traditional blood collection in rhesus macaques often involves forced restraint, leading to significant stress and defensive reactions.
• This method can compromise animal welfare and potentially affect research data due to physiological stress responses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of training rhesus macaques for cooperative blood collection.
• To compare the physiological stress responses between cooperative and force-restrained blood collection methods.

Main Methods:

• Adult male and female rhesus macaques were trained using positive reinforcement techniques to voluntarily present a limb for venipuncture.
• Training duration was cumulatively recorded, with a target of approximately one hour for successful training.
• Cortisol levels and observable defensive reactions were measured during blood collection in both trained and conventionally restrained macaques.

Main Results:

• Successful training for voluntary blood collection was achieved in approximately one hour of cumulative training.
• Cooperative macaques exhibited significantly lower cortisol responses compared to those subjected to forced restraint.
• Defensive behaviors were markedly reduced in animals trained for cooperation.

Conclusions:

• Cooperative blood collection is a practicable and humane alternative to forced restraint in rhesus macaques.
• This training method enhances animal welfare by minimizing stress and defensive reactions during routine procedures.
• The reduction in stress responses may lead to more reliable and less confounded research data.