Non-human primates used in research face significant welfare challenges. Rigorous refinement that improves their lives within research settings is an ethical imperative.
Research primate welfare is a high-priority welfare issue due to their cognitive complexity, social sophistication, and clear capacity for suffering. Primates in poor welfare conditions develop self-injurious behaviors, stereotypies, and psychological deterioration that indicate severe welfare compromise. Regulatory requirements for primate psychological well-being exist but are sometimes implemented minimally. Single housing, which is still used for some studies despite being welfare-negative, prevents normal social interaction that primates require. The welfare obligation for research institutions using primates is among the highest for any research species: maximum social complexity, appropriate enrichment, positive human-animal relationships with care staff, and active reduction programs that minimize the number of primates in research. The moral weight of using animals of this cognitive capacity demands the highest welfare standards.