| Altering a monkey’s physical and social environment may cause stress that can adversely affect different physiological systems. Diarrhea and trauma, the two most common causes of morbidity in primates, rely on proper physiological functioning for their resolution. Therefore, at PPI, we maintain most long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) with these conditions within their social groups and have observed improved well-being in group-treated (n= 156) versus isolated animals (n= 24). Mean time needed for resolving diarrhea cases was 7.3 days among group-treated animals and 12.6 days in individuals treated outside their social environment. These preliminary results suggest that, when feasible, macaques will benefit from receiving clinical treatment within their familiar social environment. |
