Abstracts Primates are at times used as performers in circuses, advertisements, films, and as pets. Most of these animals are socially isolated from their peers. They exhibit behavioral problems and lack important skills for living in a group environment. One of the main challenges primate rescue centers face is creating groups to socialize rescued individuals and promote the development of species-typical behaviors. We monitored a group of 15 chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) housed at Fundació Mona, a primate rescue and rehabilitation centre, for 8 yr. The aim of the study was to study the rehabilitation process and to establish variables that may influence the behavioral recovery of the chimpanzees. We used scan sampling to assess behavior and two welfare indices over the study period. Our results show that both desirable behaviors and welfare indices increased over time, while nondesirable behaviors decreased. We found no differences between pet and performer chimpanzees, but captive-born subjects recovered better than wild-born. We also established that chimpanzees that were younger at the onset of rehabilitation reached higher levels of social and behavioral competence than those that were older. We conclude that both social group housing and opportunities for the development of species-typical behaviors have a positive effect on the welfare and rehabilitation of performer and pet chimpanzees, but that their previous history influences rehabilitation.
Int J Primatol
In three experiments, rats were given intermixed or blocked preexposure to two similar compound stimuli, AX and BX. In Experiment 1, following preexposure, animals were given appetitive conditioning training with the compound AX. A subsequent generalization test showed better discrimination between AX and BX in the group given intermixed than in the one given blocked preexposure. Experiments 2 and 3 assessed the nature of the learning mechanisms underlying this instance of the perceptual learning effect. Experiment 2 assessed the associability of the common and unique elements (X and A); animals in the group given intermixed preexposure showed poorer conditioning with both the X and the A elements than those given blocked preexposure. Experiment 3 further assessed the perceptual effectiveness of the distinctive element A using a superimposition test (the capacity of A to interfere with the conditioned response commanded by an independent conditioned stimulus). The results showed, in line with the outcome of Experiment 2, that the unique element A is more salient following blocked than intermixed preexposure. These results are discussed by reference to current theories of perceptual learning.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.