Primates in zoos have complex cognitive and social needs requiring sophisticated enrichment programs that engage their intelligence and provide meaningful behavioral opportunities.
Primates in zoo settings with insufficient enrichment and social opportunity develop welfare problems ranging from mild boredom to severe psychopathology including self-directed aggression and stereotypic motor patterns. These animals have cognitive abilities that require regular challenge and novelty. Best-practice primate facilities invest heavily in enrichment programs tailored to species-specific behavioral ecology, stable social group management, and keeper-animal relationships built on positive reinforcement training that gives animals agency and choice.