Caregiver-Chimpanzee Interactions With Species-Specific Behaviors

M. L. Jensvold*, J. Buckner, & G. Stadtner

Chimpanzee & Human Communication Institute

Washington , USA

jensvold@cwu.EDU

The relationships between captive primates and their caregivers are critical ones and can affect animal welfare. Friendly relationships can improve quality of life; adversely, agonistic relationships can decrease quality of life. Caregivers in and of themselves should not be stressful to their charges, instead the caregiver’ behaviors and the nature of their interactions with captive primates is likely the basis for the stress. One method to promote positive relationships in the captive environment is for caregivers to employ species-specific behaviors in their interactions with their charges and this is the standard for interactions with the chimpanzees at the Chimpanzee & Human Communication Institute (CHCI) in Ellensburg , WA . This study tested the effect of using chimpanzee behaviors or not in daily interactions. The chimpanzee participants were three adult chimpanzees. Some days of data collection (Control Condition) the caregiver presented chimpanzee behaviors and vocalizations typical of the practices at the institute. For example upon greeting the caregiver would present a pronated wrist and breathy pant and in play interactions she would present a playface and playslaps. On other days of data collection the caregiver presented only human behaviors and avoided using chimpanzee behaviors (Human Condition). Conditions were presented randomly and the interactions were videotaped. Data coders recorded the behavioral contexts for each chimpanzee as they occurred on the videotape and the time that each context began. Overall the chimpanzees’ friendly behaviors decreased in the Human Condition. This data is compared to a similar study conducted at The Zoo Northwest Florida (ZNWF). A difference between the two studies is that at ZNWF the caregivers had routinely only used human behaviors. In both studies the chimpanzees reacted similarly, there were more friendly positive interactions when the caregivers used chimpanzee behaviors. These data provide strong support for caregivers’ use of chimpanzee behaviors to improve animal welfare.