Non-human primates used in research, kept as pets and housed in sanctuaries face complex welfare challenges that require understanding of their sophisticated social and cognitive needs.
Non-human primates used in research experience welfare challenges that are specific to their social complexity and cognitive sophistication. Isolation housing for experimental control causes genuine psychological suffering including depression, anxiety and the development of stereotypic self-injurious behaviours. The scientific community has increasingly recognised that such welfare harms compromise both animal welfare and research validity - stressed animals produce confounded data. Social housing has been demonstrated to be compatible with the majority of research protocols while dramatically improving welfare outcomes. Ex-research primates require social rehabilitation that can take years, and the demand for sanctuary spaces vastly exceeds supply.