Macaques are highly intelligent social primates whose welfare in zoos depends critically on complex social groupings, cognitive enrichment, and sufficient space for natural behaviors.
Macaque welfare in zoos depends fundamentally on social complexity. These highly intelligent primates require large, stable social groups with natural age and sex structures to express normal dominance, affiliative, and reproductive behaviors. Isolated or pair-housed macaques show high rates of self-injurious behavior indicating profound psychological distress. Cognitive enrichment through puzzle feeders, foraging substrates, and novel objects reduces stereotypies and promotes positive mental states. Outdoor access with climbing structures and thermal choice is essential for species like Japanese macaques.