Bem-estar de macacos-prego no cativeiro: engenharia comportamental no enriquecimento ambiental e análise da dinâmica espacial.

Abstract

Capuchin monkeys (Sapajus ssp.) in captivity have few opportunities to perform characteristics skills of these monkeys in the natural environment. The responsibility for the welfare of the capuchin monkeys living in the Experimental School for Primates poses the task of finding healthier living conditions. The objective is to build captive environment conditions functionally similar to the natural environment, using physical, foraging, cognitive and social environmental-enrichment techniques. Aditionally, interested in knowing about the social relations within the spatial interactions it is proposed to describe the relationships in terms of inter-individual spatial proximity and preferred heights in different groups of Sapajus spp. kept in captivity. Fourteen individuals of four groups of three institutions were observed in three different contexts: before, during and after feeding. The positions of each individual were recorded using the scan sampling method. The results showed a pattern of inter-distance between different dyads of animals in study groups. The monkeys were closer after feeding and far before and during feeding. Differences among preferred places were also observed. The dominant monkeys spent more time in places that were most attractive. The subordinate monkeys spent more time on the opposite and less attractive places in relation to the place occupied by the dominant. The overall pattern of interindividual spacing was similar to that observed in nature, male capuchin monkeys showed a characteristic avoidance and no approximation.