Survival and reproduction in the first two years following a large-scale primate colony move and social reorganization

The purpose of this study was to describe the mortality and fertility rates before, during, and after the move and social reorganization of the Washin gton Regional Primate Research Center's pigtailed macaque (Macaca nemestrin a) and baboon (Papio cynocephalus, Papio anubis, and hybrids) breeding colo nies from the Primate Field Station (PFS) (Medical Lake, WA) to the Tulane Regional Primate Research Center (Covington, LA). Colony records on all 598 pigtailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina) and 157 baboons (P. c. anubis) ship ped to the Tulane Primate Center from the PFS breeding colony were used for analysis of species, sex, age, origin, current status, and the number of a nimals born at Tulane and their status. To provide comparative statistics, colony records on all 1,002 macaques and 258 baboons alive on 1 January 199 1 at the Field Station were retrieved in the same manner as the Tulane data . Overall survival rates of macaques in the months following the move (71.7 %) were similar to those associated with the Arashiyama West colony move fr om Japan to Texas. In our colony, significantly lower survival following th e move was seen only in older (10 years+) macaques, while survival in other age groups was slightly lower than in the comparison year of 1991 at the P rimate Field Station. Captive-bred macaques exhibited higher survival than wild-caught animals. Infant survival at Tulane was not significantly differ ent than in pre-move years. Baboons fared well in the move, with no signifi cant differences in mortality or reproduction when compared with the 1991 M edical Lake baboon colony. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.