Ex-situ Captive
Breeding Programme

Environmental enrichment is an essential aspect of primate husbandry. With appropriate planning and implementation, the keepers at the Endangered Primate Breeding Centre can successfully design and provide enrichment opportunities—using food or toy-like devices—to encourage the animals to display species-specific behaviours and natural instincts whilst in captivity.

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Primates are highly intelligent; therefore, we promote a range of natural behaviours by offering a mix of simple and complex enrichment opportunities at the Centre. These may include:

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• Terrestrial foraging through scatter feeding

• Physical stimulation (e.g. muscle-building through climbing or suspension)

• Social enrichment (e.g. grooming opportunities)

• Cognitive stimulation using manipulative feeding devices

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Enrichment is provided at least twice a day. The keepers at the Centre must be imaginative, as resources are limited; however, we are fortunate to receive regular donations of enrichment devices.

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Below are some examples of our enrichment activities: