BEHAVIORAL-MANAGEMENT OF SPECIFIC PATHOGEN-FREE RHESUS MACAQUES - GROUP FORMATION, REPRODUCTION, AND PARENTAL COMPETENCE

Breeding colonies of specific pathogen-free (SPF) rhesus macaques were established to eradicate the transmission of Herpesvirus simiae and s everal retroviruses in this species. Strategies to attain this goal in cluded the combination of large numbers of monkeys into groups, the es tablishment of small unimale groups, and a program using animals that were temporarily socially restricted. All methods required the establi shment of new social groups from unfamiliar animals. In using these me thods, we encountered important behavioral questions related to the gr oup formation process, as well as reproductive and parental competence . Age and prior social experience were important determinants of socia l and parental success. New multimale-multifemale SPF group formations were successful initially and involved the least aggression during th e first breeding season when young females and older males were used. Formation of unimale groups was successful, even when males and female s were of similar ages. Breeding competence did not seem to be affecte d by any of the SPP colony management procedures, but animals with res tricted early social experience exhibited impaired parental competence when compared with animals with more social experience. Males were mo re sensitive to the effects of early social restriction than females. A variety of behavioral obstacles will be encountered when attempting to establish an SPF breeding colony by forming groups by use of these methods. Skilled behavioral management is necessary to surmount these obstacles and to achieve satisfactory social integration, reproduction , and parenting.