New report on care of non-human primates

The supplement to the April 2009 edition of Laboratory Animals (Volume 43 Number 2) contains a report of the BVAAWF/FRAME/RSPCA/UFAW Joint Working Group on Refinement.

It is titled "Refinements in husbandry, care and common procedures for non-human primates" and is the ninth in a series issued by the joint working group.

Both FRAME and the RSPCA have a primary goal of ending all experiments on primates but meanwhile share with the other organisations the aim of reducing suffering and improving the welfare of those that are still used.

Topics in the report include refinements in housing, husbandry and common procedures such as restraint, identification and sampling. It also covers identification and maintenance of social groups, communication, assessing wellbeing and environmental and nutritional enrichment.