Chopped and dispersed food enhances foraging and reduces stress-related behaviours in captive white-naped mangabeys (Cercocebus lunulatus)

The white-naped mangabey is an endangered and rare zoo species, yet little known concerning their welfare in captivity. assessment of should incorporate a net balance negative positive behavioural indicators. These behaviours, thus welfare, can be affected by the way food presented based on its distribution, clumped or dispersed, size, chopped whole. This study investigated effect presentation time-budget behaviours (i.e. forage, activity, inactivity, allogroom, self-groom, play) stress-related measures (i.e., diarrhoea, aggression, self-directed behaviours), four crossed-over test conditions distribution. group-living mangabeys Rotterdam Zoo were provided with vegetables that differed distribution size: clumped-chopped, dispersed-whole, dispersed-chopped, clumped-whole. Mangabeys spent least time being inactive subordinates juveniles most foraging during dispersed-chopped condition, while reversed was found clumped-whole condition. In addition, stole more often engaged less compared dispersed-whole. contrast, size did not affect play, self-grooming diarrhoea. Consistent literature, chopped, dispersed items appeared to best, whereas presenting whole worst for welfare. conclusion, distributed instead manner suggested improve zoo-housed mangabeys.