Japanese macaques are highly social, cold-adapted primates whose welfare in captivity requires attention to social group complexity, environmental enrichment, and thermoregulatory needs.
Captive Japanese macaques require complex social environments to thrive behaviorally. Isolation or small group sizes incompatible with natural social structures lead to aggression, anxiety, and stereotypic behaviors. The matrilineal social organization means that group composition decisions profoundly affect individual welfare, particularly for lower-ranking females who may face chronic harassment without adequate space to avoid dominant individuals. Enrichment programs that provide foraging opportunities, novel materials, and social complexity reflect the cognitive sophistication of these primates.