Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Jan 1;60(1):103-111.
doi: 10.30802/AALAS-JAALAS-20-000026. Epub 2020 Oct 6.

Use of Introduction Enclosures to Integrate Multimale Cohorts into Groups of Female Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Kelly L Bailey  1 , Leigh Anna Young  1 , Caroline E Long  1 , Caren M Remillard  1 , Shannon E Moss  1 , Tracy L Meeker  1 , Mollie A Bloomsmith  2
Affiliations

Use of Introduction Enclosures to Integrate Multimale Cohorts into Groups of Female Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Kelly L Bailey et al. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci. .

Abstract

Integrating animals into a new group is a challenge for both free-ranging and captive adult male rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta), and for females in groups receiving new males. To ensure the genetic viability of the population, however, male transfers must occur in both natural and captive settings. To facilitate the introduction of groups of adult males to adult females, we designed a new enclosure that is attached to the outdoor compound where females are housed. Here we describe the construction of 3 introduction enclosures, their use during 4 introductions of groups of adult males to adult females, a brief comparison of introduction success rates associated with the new introduction enclosures with those of our traditional male introduction method, and a critique by the various groups of staff members working with the new enclosures. Overall, the introduction enclosures benefitted both the macaques and the facility personnel and appear to be a useful enhancement to our process of integrating breeding groups.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Original introduction enclosure retrofitted with heaters (hanging under the solid roof).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Capture unit inside the introduction enclosure. The capture unit is a 1.16 m × 2.87 m enclosed space behind the enclosure proper. The locked sliding door here separates the 2 areas.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
(A) Male and female macaques interacting through the introduction enclosure. (B) Males observing females in compound.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Enclosure with infrared gas tube heaters and hanging polypropylene panels.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Enclosure with sliding animal door to the female compound. The arrow indicates the door that opens directly to the compound.
Figure 6.
Figure 6.
Diagram of introduction enclosure 2, illustrating the safety unit for animal release, main unit living space, and capture unit for animal capture.
Figure 7.
Figure 7.
Modified introduction enclosure 3.
Figure 8.
Figure 8.
Dimensions and cost of introduction enclosures.
Figure 9.
Figure 9.
Introduction enclosure survey.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Animal Welfare Regulations. 2008. 9 CFR § 3.129.
    1. Beisner BA, Jackson ME, Cameron A, McCowan B. 2012. Sex ratio, conflict dynamics, and wounding in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Appl Anim Behav Sci 137:137–147. 10.1016/j.applanim.2011.07.008. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Beisner BA, McCowan B. 2013. Policing in nonhuman primates: partial interventions serve a prosocial conflict management function in rhesus macaques. PLoS One 8:1–13. 10.1371/journal.pone.0077369. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bernstein IS, Draper WA. 1964. The behaviour of juvenile rhesus monkeys in groups. Anim Behav 12:84–91. 10.1016/0003-3472(64)90107-1. - DOI
    1. Bernstein IS. 1964. The integration of rhesus monkeys introduced to a group. Folia Primatol (Basel) 2:50–63. 10.1159/000155003. - DOI

Publication types