The impact of care on chimpanzee welfare: A comprehensive review

• Published in: Applied animal behaviour science 2024-06, Vol.275, p.106272, Article 106272
• Main Authors: Angley, Laura P., Vale, Gillian L., Cronin, Katherine A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal wellbeing; Colony management; Enrichment; Human animal relations; Social housing
• ISSN: 0168-1591; 1872-9045
• DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106272

Animal welfare research has increased dramatically in scope and prevalence, spanning zoos, aquariums, sanctuaries, and research facilities. Chimpanzees are the most common and well-studied great ape living in human care. This considerable focus on chimpanzee welfare provides the foundation for a timely review of new and relevant research from multiple facility types housing captive chimpanzees. We reviewed and prioritized six key areas of chimpanzee care and management including available space, social life, enrichment, diet, nesting, and human-animal relationships, and discuss their predictive relationship, if any, to chimpanzee welfare. Our review shows that social companionship remains unequivocally valuable for chimpanzee welfare as does enrichment, and the novelty, choice, and control that it offers. Individual differences in chimpanzee preferences and personalities underscore the emerging importance of providing choices to chimpanzees in our care to help support positive welfare. Areas that revealed a gap in our knowledge and require more inquiry include the absolute amount of space necessary for social and spatial autonomy, the nutritional needs of chimpanzees, sensory enrichment, and how chimpanzees’ relationship with their caretakers can be best structured (or unstructured) to support good welfare. Overall, there are a range of factors important for chimpanzee welfare and although more research is needed, there is the potential for an evidence-based tool leveraging the available research to ensure the best possible care is provided for this highly social and cognitively advanced species. •Chimpanzees are the most common and well-studied great apes living in human care.•We review how animal management decisions influence captive chimpanzee welfare.•Social companionship and enrichment are distinctly valuable for chimpanzee welfare.•Gaps persist in understanding space, diet, and human-animal effects.•There is enough information for a care-based tool to guide management decisions.