Mandrills are highly social, colourful primates whose welfare in captivity depends critically on appropriate group management, space, and complex social environments.
Mandrill welfare in captivity is shaped fundamentally by social group structure. In the wild, mandrills live in large, complex social groups where individual fitness depends on navigating multi-tiered social relationships. In small captive groups, the inability to avoid conflict with dominant individuals creates chronic stress for subordinate animals. The development of male coloration itself is socially modulated — isolated or socially subordinate males develop less intense coloration indicating social welfare impacts on physiological development. Zoos that have invested in larger, more complex social groups achieve substantially better welfare outcomes, demonstrating that scale of social environment matters for this species.