• Replacement of animals with humane alternatives;
• Reduction in the number of animals used;
• Refinement to reduce to a minimum the suffering experienced by the animals throughout their lives; not just during experiments, but also as a result of the way they are acquired, housed, cared for and transported.

The CCWP holds an annual meeting prior to the PSGB's Winter Meeting, and meets at other times as necessary. Contact between members is maintained through email. At the annual meeting we review developments in laws and practice, issues and news relating to captive primates. Typically, our review will include changes to UK or European legislation; establishment or closing of research facilities; and news from the zoo community. We produce yearly reports and draft policy letters for PSGB Council.

Current areas of interest include:

• Acquisition and transport
• Housing and husbandry
• Training with positive reinforcement techniques
• Weaning policy
• Management of breeding colonies

Membership of the CCWP is open to all members of the PSGB but primarily is attractive to people with specialist knowledge of, or a professional interest in, the care of primates in captivity. Currently, membership comprises both researchers and animal welfare representatives who have experience with a range of primate species (New World monkeys, Old World monkeys, and apes) in a variety of captive settings. One of the challenges facing the CCWP is to form stronger links between all institutions housing primates, particularly research facilities, zoos and rescue centres.

Relevant materials

• Overview of CCWP (Mark Prescott)
• Harmonisation of weaning policy for macaques used in research and testing (Mark Prescott)

Annual reports of CCWP

• 2002
• 2003
• 2005

Captive Care Grants

**Applications now closed**

In addition, to the activities listed above, the Working Party administers the PSGB Captive Care Grants. These are awards, typically not exceeding £750, to assist research of benefit to primate welfare in captivity, and to assist education projects about captive primate welfare. Although the financial value of the grants is quite small, it should be remembered that approval from the PSGB is invaluable when applying for money from other sources.

Grants awarded (since 2009)

2009: Diana Marsilio, 'The impact of browse and fruit consumption on regurgitation and reingestion in captive western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla).
2009: Olivier Caillabet, 'A parasitological survey of semi-captive drills (Mandrillus leucophaeus): Implications for reintroduction to the wild.

Publications with support of CCWP grants:

• Avanti Mallapur, Natalie Waran and Anindya Sinha (2005) Factors influencing the behaviour and welfare of captive lion-tailed macaques in Indian zoos. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Volume 91, Issues 3-4, Pages 337-353
• Avanti Mallapur, Anindya Sinha and Natalie Waran  (2005) Influence of visitor presence on the behaviour of captive lion-tailed macaques (Macaca silenus) housed in Indian zoos Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Volume 94, Issues 3-4, Pages 341-352

Various documents relating to the PSGB Captive Care grants are available as RTF files. These can be read by almost any word-processing package.

1. Application Form
2. Referees Form
3. Guidance Notes

Some useful links:

• A paper by Mark Prescott on "Finding New Homes for Ex-Laboratory and Surplus Zoo Primates":
• The final report of the "Expert working group on severity classification of scientific procedures performed on animals"
• A multi-authored report on "Refinements in husbandry, care and common procedures for non-human primates", produced by the BVAAWF/FRAME/RSPCA/UFAW Joint Working Group on Refinement
• Defra's "Code of Practice on the Welfare of Privately Kept Non-Human Primates" - the Code provide owners and keepers with information on how to meet the needs of their animals, as required under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. It can also be used in courts as evidence in cases brought before them relating to poor welfare
• The International Federation for Animal Welfare's report on the keeping of primates as pets: "Born to be wild: Primates are not pets"
• Veterinary Times article, published in February 2010 "Push for primate pet ban despite new welfare code" (reproduced here with kind permission of the Editor of the Veterinary Times)
• The International Primatological Society's Captive Care Grants
• The Pan African Sanctuary Alliance

For more information and advice please contact: