How Japanese macaques (snow monkeys) are managed in zoos and what welfare-centred husbandry looks like for these highly social primates.
Snow monkey welfare in zoos requires understanding the complexity of their social lives. Japanese macaques live in groups with intricate dominance hierarchies, coalitionary alliances, and cultural traditions — troops in different areas have developed distinct behavioural traditions including stone manipulation and hot spring bathing. Captive groups that replicate appropriate social complexity, including the right mix of sexes and ages and sufficient space for both social interaction and social avoidance, provide the best welfare outcomes. Their cognitive sophistication means that cognitive enrichment — puzzle feeders, novel objects, problem-solving challenges — is as important as physical and social provision.