Reinhardt V
Wisconsin Regional Research Center, Madison.
J Exp Anim Sci. 1991;34(3):110-5.
An attempt was made to form two groups of 6 previously single-caged adult female and 6 previously single-caged adult male rhesus macaques. The study was based on the premise that simultaneous introduction of familiar animals reduces the risks involved during group formation. Future group members were therefore given ample opportunity to physically interact with each other on a one-to-one basis and were considered ready for group formation only when they had demonstrated compatibility and clear-cut dominance-subordination relationships. Both group formation attempts were failures. Aggressive incompatibility was heralded by certain subjects challenging other partners to whom they had originally been subordinate. Aggressive harassment was intensive and persistent. Victims showed no resistance except for fear-grinning and crouching in submission. They did so to no avail. Both groups were split again within the first hour of introduction to avoid fatal consequences. It was concluded, that unlike pair-housing, group-housing of previously single caged adult rhesus macaques is associated with considerable risks which cannot be overcome by systematically familiarizing all group members before the animals are introduced as a group. There is no guarantee that well established dyadic relationships do not break down within the more complex social structure of the group, thereby triggering aggressive conflicts that put the animals' safety into undue jeopardy.
研究人员试图将6只先前单独饲养的成年雌性恒河猴和6只先前单独饲养的成年雄性恒河猴分成两组。该研究基于这样一个前提，即同时引入熟悉的动物可降低组群形成过程中的风险。因此，未来的组群成员有充分的机会进行一对一的身体互动，只有当它们表现出相容性和明确的支配-从属关系时，才被认为准备好组群。两次组群尝试均告失败。某些原本处于从属地位的个体向其他同伴发起挑战，预示着攻击性不相容。攻击性骚扰激烈且持续不断。受害者除了恐惧地咧嘴笑和蹲伏屈服外没有任何抵抗。但这无济于事。为避免致命后果，两组在引入后的第一小时内再次分开。得出的结论是，与成对饲养不同，先前单独饲养的成年恒河猴进行群居存在相当大的风险，在将动物作为一个群体引入之前，通过系统地让所有组群成员相互熟悉并不能克服这些风险。无法保证在更为复杂的群体社会结构中，已建立良好的二元关系不会破裂，从而引发攻击性冲突，使动物的安全面临不必要的危险。
