Mandrills are the world's largest monkey species and live in complex, hierarchical groups. Their welfare in captivity depends on appropriate social structure and enrichment.
Mandrill welfare in captivity centres on the challenge of replicating the complex social dynamics of wild hordes in a zoo setting. The elaborate dominance hierarchies, coalition dynamics, and social signalling of mandrill groups require sufficient group size and appropriate sex ratios to allow natural expression. Mandrills kept in pairs or small groups without appropriate social partners show elevated stress indicators and reduced behavioural diversity. Foraging enrichment that mimics the daily food search of wild mandrills — searching through substrates, solving food-access puzzles, competing and cooperating for resources — provides essential cognitive stimulation. Facilities that invest in large, complex enclosures with multiple social animals provide the foundation for acceptable welfare.