Social housing for non-human primates in laboratories has improved dramatically in recent decades. Understanding current best practice helps advocates push for further improvements across facilities.
Laboratory primate welfare has improved more than for any other research species over the past three decades. Solitary housing in single cages is increasingly rare; pair or group housing is standard in progressive facilities. Behavioral management programs provide cognitive stimulation through foraging enrichment, training, and social interaction. The welfare benefit is measurable — paired primates show lower cortisol, reduced stereotypies, and more natural behavioral repertoires. Training macaques to cooperate with blood sampling, weighing, and veterinary inspection through positive reinforcement dramatically reduces restraint-associated stress. The welfare case for primate use in research remains contested; the welfare case for housing improvements given current use is unambiguous.