Foraging enrichment for mandrills addresses their high cognitive capacity and natural behavioral repertoire, providing essential psychological welfare through complex food acquisition challenges.
Foraging enrichment for mandrills addresses a fundamental welfare gap between the time allocation of wild mandrills and captive individuals fed from bowls. The hours freed from foraging by bowl feeding create a void that is partially filled by stereotypic behaviors, reduced social engagement, and inactivity. Complex foraging tasks that require problem-solving provide cognitive stimulation that improves psychological welfare beyond food provision alone. Enrichment design that enables all social group members to access food addresses the welfare of subordinate individuals who may be excluded from single food sources.