Non-human primates used in biomedical research face significant welfare challenges. Understanding the reform landscape helps advocates support evidence-based improvement.
Non-human primate welfare in research sits at the intersection of welfare ethics and scientific need. Great apes — our closest relatives with the most complex cognitive and social lives — have been largely removed from research use in major jurisdictions, a significant welfare achievement. Smaller primates including macaques remain in widespread use. Their social complexity means that single housing causes welfare harm significant enough that regulatory guidance increasingly requires social housing. The scientific case for primate research in some areas is real; the welfare cost is also real. Advocates can push for maximum application of 3Rs principles, mandatory social housing, and phase-out of primates from research where validated alternatives exist.