MORE ON THE INFLUENCE OF ZOO VISITORS ON THE BEHAVIOR OF CAPTIVE PRIMATES

A study done at the Chester Zoo, in the north of England, was replicated at the Sacramento Zoo. Data were collected for four behavioural measures (number of interactions with the audience, number of interactions with cage-mates, levels of locomotory activity, and spatial dispersion in the cage) in 11 different species of primates under five audience conditions (no audience, small active groups, large active groups, small passive groups and large passive groups) in an attempt to quantify the relationships between size and activity of audiences and the behaviour of primates kept in zoos. Most animals directed at least some behaviours toward the audiences in all audience conditions, but significantly more behaviours were directed at active, than at passive audiences especially if the audience was large. There were no relationships between size and activity of the audience and frequency of interactions between primates in the same group. However, locomotory activity was significantly higher in primates when both large and small active audiences were present than when there was no audience. There was also a relationship between audience presence, especially an active audience, and the primates being more often observed at the front of the enclosure. The behaviours of zoo primates and the size and activity of visitor groups are, indeed, related.