Refinement Database

Database on Refinement of Housing, Husbandry, Care, and Use of Animals in Research

This database, created in 2000, is updated every four months with newly published scientific articles, books, and other publications related to improving or safeguarding the welfare of animals used in research.

Tips for using the database:

  • This landing page displays all of the publications in the database.
  • Use the drop-down menus to filter these publications by Animal Type, Setting, and/or Topic.
  • Clicking on a parent category (e.g., Rodent) will include publications relating to all the items in that category (e.g., Chinchilla, Gerbil, Guinea Pig, etc.).
  • You may also add a keyword to further narrow your search.
  • Please note that at this time, only publications dated 2010 or later (with some exceptions) can be filtered by Animal Type and Topic, and only publications dated 2020 or later (with some exceptions) can be filtered by Setting. Most publications older than 2010 can only be searched by keyword. 
Ohlinger, R., Schwandt, M., Fritz, J. et al. 2000. King Kong® rubber toys: An effective enrichment device for captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). The Newsletter 11(2), 3-5.

Subjects were tested on one single occasion each when they had access to a toy for 15 minutes. High percentages of use by two chimpanzees adjacent to social groups suggest that the King Kong toy...

Neu, K., Howell, S., Fritz, J. et al. 2000. Rigid plastic balls as environmental enrichment: A novel presentation. The Newsletter 11(2), 1-2.

At the Primate Foundation of Arizona (PFA), we provide many different types of both destructible and indestructible objects, but seldom provide rigid plastic balls. They are frequently thrown about the enclosure during displays and have...

Fritz, J. 2000. I'm forever blowing bubbles! The Newsletter 11(3), 1-2.

The chimpanzees are fascinated with the bubbles floating .... run around sticking out their tongues, much as a child collecting snowflakes, and attempting to catch them - a bit bewildered as it disappears.

Murphy, J., Fritz, J. 1999. Forage "shooter": A means to widely distribute forage materials. The Newsletter 10(4), 1-3.

A device was designed that allows us to blow forage [e.g., chicken scratch] into both empty and occupied cages and over a wide area.

Howell, S. M., Fritz, J., Murphy, J. et al. 1998. Vertical poles with cow bells: An enrichment device for chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). The Newsletter 9(3,4), 3-5.

Adding a simple cow bell can increase use of vertical climbing poles and may have resulted in increased locomotor activity for [group-housed] captive chimpanzees. These data were collected in 1996/97 and the cow bells are...

Howell, S. M., Fritz, J., Silvers, A. 1998. Party Popper tubes: An effective enrichment for adult captive chimpanzees. The Newsletter 10(1-2), 3.

The device consists of food treats ... mixed with shredded paper and stuffed into a 4 foot long section of cardboard tube which is cut into 4-inch lengths.

Woolley, A. P. A. H. 1997. Requirements of biomedical research in terms of housing and husbandry for non-human primates: Pharmacology & Toxicology. Primate Report 49, 37-41.

The objective of toxicology and pharmacology studies is to detect change or variation from normal and to interpret the significance of such change, with the intention of assessing risk to man. With non-human primates (NHPs)...

Warniment, A., Brent, L. 1997. Abnormal behavior in a captive chimpanzee colony. The Newsletter 8(3), 1-3.

The purpose of this study was to link abnormal behaviors often expressed by chimpanzees living in captive environments to factors related to their care and housing. Individuals who had spent more time with their mothers...

Reinhardt, V., Roberts, A. 1997. Effective feeding enrichment for non-human primates: A brief review. Animal Welfare 6(3), 265-272.

There is a growing awareness that non-human primates kept in zoos and laboratories deserve more species-appropriate stimulation because of their biological adaptation to a challenging environment. Numerous attempts have been made to effectively emulate the...

Reinhardt, V. 1997. Training nonhuman primates to cooperate during handling procedures: A review. Animal Technology 48, 55-73.

Twenty-six reports provide detailed information of how primates can be trained to voluntarily cooperate - rather than resist - during blood collection, injection, topical drug application, blood pressure measurement, urine collection, and capture.

Kuhar, C. W. 1997. Space use and behavior patterns of captive chimpanzees in a large indoor enclosure. The Newsletter 9(1), 1-4.

The purpose of this study is to consider space use patterns of a single group of captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) housed in an indoor exhibit at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. This report summarizes results from...

Howell, S. M., Fritz, J. 1997. Translating good ideas into a working environmental enrichment. The Newsletter 8(3), 4-5.

Brief but very useful guidelines of how an enrichment program can most effectively be developed and implemented. Care and research staff ideas are well-thought out prior to use of any new devices, and all staff...

Howell, S. M., Miteva, E., Fritz, J. et al. 1997. The provision of cage furnishings as environmental enrichment at the Primate Foundation of Arizona. The Newsletter 9(2), 1-5.

Results suggest a preference for horizontal furnishings above the enclosure floor. Adults infrequently used 'moving' furnishings (e.g., swinging ropes, hanging tubes, etc...) and seemed to prefer 'stable' horizontal furnishings (e.g., benches, logs) above the enclosure...

Buchanan-Smith, H. M. 1997. Considerations for the housing and handling of New World primates in the laboratory. In: Comfortable Quarters for Laboratory Animals, Eighth Edition. Reinhardt, V. (ed), 75-84. Animal Welfare Institute: Washington, DC.

Caretakers should seek knowledge of the natural lifestyles of the primates in their charge, and attempt to reproduce in the captive environment the salient aspects of the natural habitats that are biologically relevant to the...

Kessel, A. L., Brent, L. 1996. Goldfish as enrichment for singly housed chimpanzees. Animal Technology 47, 1-8.

The aquarium [with a single goldfish] was attached to the outside of the chimpanzee's cage ... so that the single-caged subject was able to touch the aquarium but not the fish itself. At the conclusion...

Riviello, M. C. 1995. The use of feeding board as an environmental enrichment device for tufted capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella). Primate Report 42, 23-24 (Abstract).

Results show that the feeding board [on which seeds were scattered] were almost always in use [during 30-minute observations]. ... There was no evidence that the position in which the feeding board was placed [high...

Riviello, M. C., Misiti, A. 1995. An alternative to woodchip as a foraging substrate for tufted capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella). Primate Report 42, 24. (Abstract)

Our laboratory, a short time after the introduction of woodchip, became infested with domestic mice. ... We decided to adequate the original idea changing woodchip with argilla espansa ... a material that is used in...

Brent, L. 1995. Improving the laboratory environment for nonhuman primates. Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) Quarterly 44(1), 14-15.

Environmental improvements include construction of large indoor cages that allow pairing of experimental animals, a grass-covered 'playground' for breeding chimpanzee groups, and indoor/outdoor group housing for 'retired' experimental animals. In addition, we provide toys, perches...

van Akker, R., Balls, M., Eichberg, J. W. et al. 1994. Chimpanzees in AIDS research: A biomedical and bioethical perspective. Journal of Medical Primatology 23, 49-51.

The present article represents a consensus view of the appropriate utilization of chimpanzees in AIDS research arrived at as a result of a meeting of a group of scientists involved in AIDS research with chimpanzees...

Murphy, J. 1994. The prevention of environmentally caused injury in captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) at the Primate Foundation of Arizona (PFA). The Newsletter 6(2), 3.

Enrichment items are thoroughly examined for potential hazards.

Lindsey, J. 1994. Enrichment in a hostile environment. In Touch 1(3), 1 & 3-4.

The purpose of this article is to illustrate how recycled, throw-away, and donated materials have been used creatively at little cost for the daily enrichment of chimpanzees.

Lambeth, S. P., Bloomsmith, M. A. 1994. A grass foraging device for captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Animal Welfare 3, 13-24.

In the wild, chimpanzees spend most of their time foraging, so any device that stimulates this behaviour in captivity could potentially be effective enrichment. A simple grass foraging device constructed of a polyvinyl chloride (PVC)...

Marriott, B. M., Marriott, R. W., Norris, J. et al. 1993. A semi-natural habitat for housing small, nonhuman primates. Journal of Medical Primatology 22, 348-354.

A semi-natural habitat that was designed to house a group of squirrel monkeys is described. Animals maintained in this environment were healthy, and none of the animals exhibited locomotor stereotypies. This facility was easier and...

Fritz, J., Howell, S. M. 1993. Psychological wellness for captive chimpanzees: An evaluative program. Humane Innovations and Alternatives in Animal Experimentation 7, 426-434.

Authors describe the "Wellness Program" of the Primate Foundation of Arizona (PFA) devoted to producing physically and behaviorally normal chimpanzees. Psychological well-being is a major focus. In this paper, the authors present protocols specific to...

Reinhardt, V., Reinhardt, A. 1992. Quantitatively tested environmental enrichment options for singly-caged nonhuman primates: A review. Humane Innovations and Alternatives in Animal Experimentation 6, 374-384.

Compatible companionship has a therapeutic effect on behavioral disorders, providing long- term stimulation of a great variety of species-typical social behavior patterns. Inanimate objects have little impact on behavioral disorders, but some of them provide...