Capuchin monkeys are among the most cognitively complex New World primates, requiring extensive cognitive enrichment, social housing, and appropriate group management in zoo welfare programs.
Capuchin monkey welfare requires cognitive enrichment that matches their extraordinary problem-solving capacity. Standard primate enrichment that satisfies less cognitively complex species will fail to adequately engage capuchins, leading to boredom-related behaviors. Multi-step puzzle feeders, novel materials requiring investigation, and enrichment that supports social tool use within groups engage their natural cognitive abilities. Social group management must accommodate their complex dominance hierarchies and coalition dynamics. The historical use of capuchins as service animals raises significant welfare concerns about individual confinement, restricted social contact, and unnatural behavioral demands placed on these socially complex primates.