REVIEW article
Front. Vet. Sci.
Sec. Animal Behavior and Welfare
This article is part of the Research TopicEnvironmental Enrichment: Neurobiology, affective states, and positive animal welfareView all 9 articles
The enriched mind: cognitive stimulation and behavior in non-human primates
Provisionally accepted
Daniel Mota-Rojas1*
Alexandra Whittaker2
Genaro Alfonso Coria-Avila3
Adriana Domínguez-Oliva1
Cécile Bienboire-Frosini4
Ismael Hernández Avalos5
Cuauhtémoc Chávez1
Adriana Olmos-Hernández6Julio Martínez-Burnes7Ricardo García-Herrera8
PATRICIA MORA-MEDINA5
Temple Grandin9*- 1Metropolitan Autonomous University, Mexico City, Mexico
- 2The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- 3Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico
- 4Avignon Universite, Avignon, France
- 5Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlan, Cuautitlán Izcalli, Mexico
- 6Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitacion Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra, Mexico City, Mexico
- 7Universidad Autonoma de Tamaulipas, Ciudad Victoria, Mexico
- 8Universidad Juarez Autonoma de Tabasco, Villahermosa, Mexico
- 9Colorado State University, Fort Collins, United States
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Non-human primates (NHPs) possess high cognitive abilities that enable them to respond effectively to complex social, ecological, and psychological challenges. These abilities need to be stimulated in non-human primates under human care in zoos, conservation centers/sanctuaries, or research facilities, where stereotypies and behavioral and/or psychobiological disturbances are frequently associated with captivity. Cognitive enrichment (CE), a type of environmental enrichment that facilitates decision-making skills, problem-solving, and control over the environment, is one way to promote primate welfare by encouraging engagement in cognitive tasks. Currently, non-technological and technological cognitive enrichments are implemented for NHPs under human care to enhance positive behavioral responses and prevent negative emotional states such as boredom or stress. The present review aims to analyze the benefits that CE provides to NHPs (including monkeys and great apes), highlighting its relevance to research, conservation, and ethical management in controlled environments.
Keywords: environmental enrichment, cognitive skills, great apes, monkeys, Animal Welfare
Received: 14 Oct 2025; Accepted: 10 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Mota-Rojas, Whittaker, Coria-Avila, Domínguez-Oliva, Bienboire-Frosini, Hernández Avalos, Chávez, Olmos-Hernández, Martínez-Burnes, García-Herrera, MORA-MEDINA and Grandin. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Daniel Mota-Rojas, dmota100@yahoo.com.mx
Temple Grandin, cheryl.miller@colostate.edu
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.