Effect of new training technique on affinity of cynomolgus monkeys for animal
care personnel |
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Authors: | Ai Nishimoto Yuki Tachibana Kaoru Takaura Takehiro Ochi Hironari Koyama |
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Institution: | Laboratory Animal Science Division, Astellas Research Technologies Co., Ltd., 1-6, Kashima 2-chome, Yodogawa-ku, Osaka 532-8514, Japan |
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Abstract: | To confirm our hypothesis that the sex and age of cynomolgus monkeys influences the
effect of training, we employed a new training technique designed to increase the animal’s
affinity for animal care personnel. During 151 days of training, monkeys aged 2 to 10
years accepted each 3 raisins/3 times/day, and communicated with animal care personnel (5
times/day). Behavior was scored using integers between −1 and 5. Before training, 35 of
the 61 monkeys refused raisins offered directly by animal care personnel (Score −1, 0 and
1). After training, 28 of these 35 monkeys (80%) accepted raisins offered directly by
animal care personnel (>Score 2). The mean score of monkeys increased from 1.2 ± 0.1 to
4.3 ± 0.2. The minimum training period required for monkeys to reach Score 2 was longer
for females than for males. After 151 days, 6 of the 31 females and 1 of the 30 males
still refused raisins offered directly by animal care personnel. Beneficial effects of
training were obtained in both young and adult monkeys. These results indicate that our
new training technique markedly improves the affinity of monkeys for animal care
personnel, and that these effects tend to vary by sex but not age. In addition, abnormal
behavior and symptoms of monkeys were improved by this training. |
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Keywords: | animal welfare monkey raisins training |
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