The Intelligent Social Monkeys You Need to Know About

Macaques (Macaca spp.) are Old World monkeys with the widest natural geographic range among non-human primates. They are distributed throughout parts of Asia, southern Europe and North Africa. There are 22 recognized macaque species, with the cynomolgus macaque (Macaca fascicularis) and rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) being the two species most frequently involved in scientific research and testing.

Why Understanding Macaque Behaviour Matters

Having a thorough understanding of the natural history and behaviour of macaques is important for ensuring that animals kept in captivity receive appropriate care while also supporting the production of reliable, high-quality scientific research.

Knowledge of important life-history characteristics, including ecological adaptations, social structures and different stages of development, together with an understanding of their natural behavioural patterns, can contribute to better captive management. This knowledge can help inform the design of suitable housing and enrichment, make it easier to manage social groups, and support training that allows individual macaques to voluntarily cooperate with procedures carried out as part of scientific work.

Behaviour and Animal Welfare

Allowing macaques to display a broad range of behaviours appropriate to their species, age and sex can have important benefits for their welfare. Animals that are able to maintain and express these natural behavioural patterns are generally better equipped to deal with the demands and challenges associated with captive husbandry and scientific procedures.

Supporting natural behaviours therefore plays an important role in creating suitable living conditions, reducing management difficulties and promoting better welfare outcomes for macaques kept in research environments.