Truelove Melissa A, Martin Allison L, Perlman Jaine E, Bloomsmith Mollie A
Division of Animal Resources, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia;, Email:
Division of Animal Resources, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Department of Psychology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Georgia.
J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci. 2017 Nov 1;56(6):729-734.
Literature-based recommendations regarding how to separate pairs of laboratory-housed NHP when required for research, veterinary, or management needs are unavailable. This study assessed 2 separation techniques-rapid and stepwise-to determine whether a period of limited social access mitigates the behavioral stress response after complete separation. Researchers observed 12 pairs of mother-reared, adolescent male rhesus macaques before and after separation with a solid divider; 6 of the pairs experienced a transitional week of limited social access through a perforated panel. Observers collected 30-min focal animal scans during study phase, totaling 144 h of behavioral data. Target behaviors included those classified as protest, agitation, tension, and withdrawn or self-directed. Social separation resulted in a significant change in behavior. Separated monkeys displayed more withdrawn or self-directed behaviors (for example, huddling, self-directed stereotypies) than when pair-housed. Stepwise separation resulted in increased agitation behaviors in the limited contact phase and did not mitigate separation effects. Adverse behavioral changes during the limited contact phase support continuous pair housing until required individual housing.
目前尚无基于文献的关于在研究、兽医或管理需求需要时如何将成对饲养在实验室中的非人灵长类动物分开的建议。本研究评估了两种分离技术——快速分离和逐步分离，以确定一段有限社交接触期是否能减轻完全分离后的行为应激反应。研究人员用实心隔板在分离前后观察了12对由母亲抚养长大的青春期雄性恒河猴；其中6对通过穿孔板经历了一周有限社交接触的过渡期。在研究阶段，观察人员收集了30分钟的焦点动物扫描数据，行为数据总计144小时。目标行为包括那些被归类为抗议、躁动、紧张以及退缩或自我导向的行为。社交分离导致行为发生显著变化。与成对饲养时相比，分开的猴子表现出更多的退缩或自我导向行为（例如，蜷缩、自我导向的刻板行为）。逐步分离在有限接触阶段导致躁动行为增加，并且没有减轻分离效应。有限接触阶段的不良行为变化支持在需要个体饲养之前持续成对饲养。
