Emerging research on positive emotional states in non-human primates is transforming how welfare is assessed and promoted in captive settings, going beyond the absence of suffering.
The shift toward actively promoting positive welfare represents a paradigm change in how laboratory primate housing is evaluated. Rather than asking only whether animals are free from pain, disease, and fear, positive welfare frameworks ask whether animals experience pleasure, curiosity, comfort, and positive social connection. Primates in enriched social environments with positive caregiver relationships show behavioral signatures that parallel those of humans in positive emotional states. These include play, voluntary exploration, and willingness to engage with novel challenges. Institutions that make positive welfare promotion a conscious goal report improvements in animal health, behavioral normality, and staff satisfaction with their work.