Non-human primates are among the most cognitively complex animals in captivity, with welfare needs that are exceptionally difficult to meet in zoo and laboratory settings.
Non-human primate welfare in captivity requires levels of social, cognitive, and physical enrichment that are rarely fully achieved. Great apes used in research or display have cognitive and emotional lives of exceptional richness — they form lasting social bonds, use tools, solve complex problems, and have detailed autobiographical memory. Confining such animals in inadequate social groups or barren environments causes suffering that is difficult to overstate. The strong case for phasing out great ape research and maintaining only the highest-welfare zoo environments for this group is now widely accepted in the scientific community.