Strepsirrhine Primate Training Programs in North American Institutions: Status and Implications for Future Welfare Assessment

Abstract

Many articles have shown the benefits of operant conditioning training techniques in the care and welfare of several species of nonhuman primates; however, the information regarding their use in strepsirrhine species is scarce. We assessed the development and current status of training programs with these species in North American institutions. An online survey was distributed through members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums using a multiple-choice format. We collected information related to training program details; animals, behaviors, and techniques; the evaluation process; and the impact of training. Seventy-one organizations completed the survey, with the results showing that 97% of respondents trained their strepsirrhines with the main objective of husbandry and veterinary care (around 80%). Sixty-eight percent of organizations did not report any risk in training these species. The benefits reported include increases in positive human–animal interactions (97%), psychological well-being (88%), and staff awareness of animal behaviors (90%). However, a multi-dimensional approach to measure the efficacy of training could provide a deeper understanding of its impact on the welfare of strepsirrhine primates. We hope that the data offered in this survey can help in this future assessment.

Handling and Training of Wild Animals: Evidence and Ethics-Based Approaches and Best Practices in the Modern Zoo

“…Nonetheless, catching and restraining primates through these methods is a highly stressful and negative experience for the animals when they are not trained to expect it; as such, modern best practice should seek to replace or refine them with PRT methods wherever appropriate and possible [3,77]. Indeed, primates are one of the most commonly trained species in zoos with many examples of successful training programs [78][79][80][81][82].…”

“…More attention should be given to these species-level differences in training responses [98] in order to refine the process at an individual level. For example, while species such as lemurs, lorises, and galagos are commonly trained in zoos, there is little empirical research available to document the impacts of training on these species compared to more often studied taxa such as macaques and chimpanzees [81].…”

Moving toward Fear-Free Husbandry and Veterinary Care for Horses

“…Within the zoo sector, there is now a strong focus on using training to reduce fear and stress during HAIs and HVPs. Systematic desensitization protocols and positive reinforcement-based training have been adopted within zoos as a humane and effective strategy to facilitate HVPs without the need for sedation or restraint [ 27 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ].…”