Methods to evaluate the wellbeing of laboratory primates: comparisons of macaques and tamarins

Three objective behavioral tests are described for the assessment of wellbeing and possible enrichment of laboratory primates. One test, foraging for food in a pickup tray, proved practical for both macaques and tamarins. It provides positive human interaction as well as standardized evaluation of appetite for food and sensory-motor coordination. A puzzle feeder provided more complex foraging which could be performed by macaques, but not by tamarins. A third noninvasive test, used only with macaques, measured daily energy expenditure and sleep-wakefulness cycles as expressed in the diurnal rhythm of homecage activity. Normative data indicate the usefulness of each. Further refinement and validation of new tests and enrichment strategies requires a major research effort. Definitive measures such as those described here, coupled with data on long-term health outcomes, are essential before regulations for primate care can be revised with confidence.