Drills are critically endangered primates from West Africa, living in large social groups with complex hierarchies. Zoo management must support group cohesion and natural behaviour while contributing to conservation.
Drills are among the most socially sophisticated primates and require management that respects their complex group dynamics. Welfare failures typically arise from inadequate group sizes, inappropriate social groupings, and housing that prevents natural behavioural repertoires. Best-practice facilities maintain multi-male, multi-female groups with sufficient space for social negotiation, foraging enrichment, and retreat. Facial recognition and individual behavioural monitoring help identify animals experiencing social exclusion or stress. Conservation breeding is essential given the species' dire wild status, but the welfare of each individual must be protected through species-appropriate husbandry.