Capuchin monkeys are among the most cognitively sophisticated New World primates, with documented tool use, social learning, and problem-solving abilities that make their welfare in both wild and captive contexts particularly important.
Capuchin monkey welfare in the wild is fundamentally about habitat integrity — forest fragmentation that isolates groups prevents the cultural transmission that sustains tool use and social learning central to capuchin life. The cognitive sophistication that makes capuchins fascinating also means that welfare deficits from isolation, habitat loss, or captivity as pets are acutely experienced. Both conservation and welfare goals require maintaining connected forest habitats where capuchin cultures can be maintained and transmitted.