Primates in Captivity: Behavioral Analysis of Captive Hamadryas Baboons

Captive animals live in extremely controlled environments, within which they are seldom required to forage or hunt for their food, protect their territory from invaders, or generally seek out common resources necessary for survival in the wild. Typically, captive species will exhibit fewer behaviors than their wild counterparts, but this can be remedied through enrichment programs. This study recorded observations of Hamadryas Baboons at the Phoenix Zoo, who exhibited decreased foraging and drinking behaviors as well as an alternative form of social hierarchy. Analysis of these observations suggested further enrichments to encourage the emergence of these behaviors be adopted including an open water source, mobile visual barriers for the exhibit, and providing novel food items which require higher levels of processing.