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| Photo by Crystal Miller-Spiegel |
| Boredom and anxiety are common emotions for chimps in labs. |
Chimpanzees are extremely social and intelligent creatures whose needs cannot be met in a laboratory, where they are unable to express many of their natural behaviors due to the lack of social groups, space and/or mental stimulation.
In addition to suffering from boredom, chimpanzees who are taking part in active research protocols may be isolated from other chimpanzees for long periods of time and may endure painful and invasive procedures.
Read on about a typical day in the life of a chimpanzee in a laboratory.
The following snapshot of life for chimpanzees in laboratories has been adapted and expanded from information originally written by Laboratory Primate Advocacy Group, with their permission.
A Typical Day Behind Bars
Daily life in the laboratory generally includes five components for chimpanzees not actively being used in research protocols:
- feeding
- cleaning
- cage washing
- research procedures
- 'enrichment'
Sound dull? It is.
The diet of a chimpanzee in a laboratory usually consists of "monkey chow" which is a dry biscuit primarily made of corn, soybeans, grains, animal products and vitamins and minerals. Depending on the lab, they may get some produce to supplement the chow.
Cleaning of indoor cages is a loud, wet, and messy ordeal for humans and nonhumans alike. Many chimpanzees 'paint' with feces on the walls of their enclosures—believed to be largely due to boredom. As a result, the cages must be hosed from top to bottom. Often, individuals will hang from the ceiling or wall of the cage in order to escape the stream of water. Some refuse to move, or block the spray with their bodies. In cages made from concrete or from steel bars, surfaces remain wet long after being cleaned.
After feeding and cleaning, the rest of the chimpanzee's day is often spent waiting and doing almost nothing, which can lead to stereotypies (repetitive behavior such as pacing or self-biting). At the very least, those socially housed have the comfort and company of each other. Anxiety, however, is always present.
Veterinarians and veterinary technicians come and go (which can be stressful for the animals as these are not always people they look forward to seeing). Chimpanzees and their roommates may be taken away for veterinary or research procedures, or they may be fasted in anticipation of procedures. Knockdowns (injecting or darting an animal with anesthetic) and some procedures are done in the animal room, which can obviously cause anxiety to the chimpanzees who witness them.
Chimpanzees living in outdoor enclosures typically experience less stress, without the hosing of their cages or people coming and going within close quarters.
Those used in active research protocols have a similar routine to those not being used. However, in addition to being housed alone, their day might include any number of invasive procedures, such as liver biopsies; blood sampling; knockdowns; injection or other exposure to infectious disease; and safety, efficacy or potency testing of pharmaceuticals or vaccines.
Environmental Enrichment: Not Guaranteed
Environment enhancement to promote the psychological well-being of nonhuman primates (often referred to as "environmental enrichment") is required of all laboratories that house nonhuman primates. At present, the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) does not require daily enrichment, only that the facility develop, document and follow a 'plan' for environmental enrichment.
For primates in cages, enrichment usually comes in the form a few different devices: forage boards, puzzle feeders, and fleece/grooming boards. Devices are hung, hooked, or locked onto the front of the cage. A forage board is a small tray covered in an artificial turf; the turf is periodically sprinkled with seeds and is designed to simulate 'natural' foraging behavior.
Puzzle feeders come in many designs, all with the goal of creating a challenging game which the chimpanzee has to solve to obtain a desired treat or food. Enrichment devices can be costly, so most labs do not provide them for every nonhuman primate.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which enforces the AWA, has failed to update and clarify its regulations pertaining to the psychological well-being of nonhuman primates, resulting in poor enforcement. Institutions largely self-regulate when it comes to this issue. Many institutions have no means of enforcing their own policies, and enrichment standards vary within institutions and between care-techs; for example, if an institution decides that single caged animals will receive some form of enrichment only once a week, that is acceptable according to current regulations.
Housing: Small and Often Alone
While the AWA calls for social housing of nonhuman primates, exemptions are frequently provided. It is common for adults to be taken from their social groups for a study, for example, and put into isolation cages called metabolism ('met') cages. They may remain there for the duration of the study, which can be for weeks or months.
U.S. Department of Agriculture standards dictate the sizes of cages for nonhuman primates. The legally required cage size for one adult chimpanzee is 5x5x7 feet. The cage is typically made of steel and concrete for ease of cleaning. If two chimpanzees live together, they must have an enclosure twice this size. The law does not require that they live in groups of more than two, nor does it require that the chimpanzees have access to the outdoors.
There is an abundance of research that indicates that the single housing of one chimpanzee alone in a cage is stressful, causes harmful effects, and results in stereotypical behaviors such as pacing, circling, hair pulling, rocking and self-biting.
Those chimpanzees who live in compounds (or corrals) with larger social groups and in a more complex environment with access to sunshine are better off than those in small, indoor cages. However, despite the less-restrictive environment, individuals living in corrals still live at the whim of human caretakers who decide group composition, research protocols, diet, entertainment, and the day-to-day routine. Chimpanzees in compounds can be taken from their groups and moved to an individual cage for use in an invasive experiment.
Little Comfort at Day's End
The chimpanzees are usually provided with food at the end of the day. Lights, set to a timer, go out at the same time every night. The chimpanzees can finally unwind when the last of the personnel leave for the day, when the possibility of having something unpleasant done to the chimpanzee and/or his friends is over, at least for a while.
Those who are socially housed will usually sleep next to each other and provide comfort. Those living alone are denied any comfort. Witnessing a primate having to sleep alone on cold, steel bars and/or concrete is an image that remains etched in one's memory.
Updated Jan. 27, 2009
