Japanese macaques are cold-adapted primates famous for bathing in hot springs. Their welfare in zoos requires appropriate social groups, environmental complexity, and cold-tolerant management.
Japanese macaque welfare in zoos centers on appropriate group management and environmental provision for a highly social, intelligent species. As matrilineal societies, group composition should ideally reflect natural social structures with stable female lineages and managed male presence. Solitary or small-group macaques show behavioral indicators of social deprivation. Enrichment must reflect their natural behavioral repertoire: foraging for scattered food, manipulating objects, bathing opportunities, and play — especially for young animals. Japanese macaques are cold-tolerant, so heated indoor areas should be supplementary rather than the primary environment — outdoor access even in cold conditions provides important behavioral opportunities. Hot spring bathing facilities in zoos, while difficult to replicate authentically, can be approximated through heated water features that allow the thermoregulation and relaxation behavior that wild macaques seek in natural springs. Food washing — a culturally learned behavior — should be facilitated through appropriate water access near feeding areas.