The Johns Hopkins University (JHU) behavioral management program works in collaboration with veterinary and care staff to ensure the psychological wellbeing of animals housed at JHU facilities, via the provision of species-appropriate enrichment and socialization. The behavioral management team can also assist JHU faculty in developing or refining research protocols.
The JHU Environmental Enrichment Program (EEP) ensures compliance with all federal, state, and local guidelines and regulations regarding the appropriate care of laboratory animals. Regulations defined in the Animal Welfare Regulations (USDA/APHIS 9 CFR, Chapter 1, Subchapter A, Part 3) are closely followed to ensure appropriate care for all research animals housed at JHU. JHU is accredited by the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC), and is therefore in compliance with the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (NRC, 2011). Additionally, the JHU EEP meets or exceeds all aspects of the Animal Welfare Regulations in order to guarantee the promotion of psychological well-being in nonhuman primates (USDA/APHIS 9 CFR, Chapter 1, Subchapter A, Part 3, Subpart D, Section 3.81).
Below are services offered by the by the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) behavioral management team. For additional information, please contact the Director of Behavioral Management, Dr. Lydia Hopper ([email protected]).
Socialization
Social housing allows animals to express species-typical behavior and social support is important for captive animal health and wellbeing. Compatible animals should be socially housed with full contact or varying degrees of contact and, as noted in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (NRC, 2011), single housing should always be an exception. In addition to interaction with conspecifics, animals housed at JHU benefit from social enrichment from Research Animal Resources staff. Human social interaction is provided on a daily basis by care staff through husbandry tasks and enrichment provision.
While interaction with conspecifics is regarded as one of the most important forms of environmental enrichment for many species, introduction to unfamiliar adults may not be ideal for all species and social housing can result in agonistic interactions between conspecifics (NCR, 2011). The behavioral management team can assist with forming, monitoring, and managing compatible pairs and social groups of animals.
Occasionally, animals may be exempt from the requirement of social housing due to study needs listed in the corresponding IACUC-approved research protocol or while under veterinary care due to a medical condition. Nonhuman primates requiring an exemption from social housing not listed in the IACUC-approved protocol must receive the exemption from the attending veterinarian. Unless isolated for a health concern, animals retain visual, olfactory, and auditory access with conspecifics.
Enrichment
The JHU Environmental Enrichment Program (EEP) has been created to ensure animals housed at all JHU facilities are provided with environments that 1) promote psychological wellbeing through the expression of species-typical behaviors and 2) reduce, redirect, and/or eliminate abnormal behaviors. The choice and design of enrichment provided to animals housed at JHU facilities has been informed by each species’ natural history and, where appropriate, is tailored to meet the needs of individual animals or study protocols.
Occasionally, animals may be exempt from the requirement of the EEP due to study needs listed in the corresponding IACUC-approved research protocol or while under veterinary care due to a medical condition. Nonhuman primates requiring an exemption from the EEP not listed in the IACUC-approved protocol must receive the exemption from the attending veterinarian.
Training
Positive reinforcement training creates opportunities for animals to voluntarily participate in research protocols, which reduces stress and increases safety for both animals and staff. Thus, training can help to increase program efficiency and animal welfare. The behavioral management team can assist with training animals for research protocols and for veterinary and husbandry care needs. For example, animals can be trained to present a limb for an injection or blood draw, to stand on a weighing scale, or to engage in research protocols with reduced or no restraint.
Welfare Assessments and Behavioral Monitoring
In partnership with veterinary staff, the behavioral management team can assist with behavioral monitoring of animals housed in JHU facilities in order to identify any behavioral concerns (e.g., presentation of abnormal behaviors) and to evaluate the efficacy of treatments and interventions. Additionally, the behavioral management team can perform behavioral evaluations of animals to help in the designation of individual animals to research protocols if specific temperaments or other behavioral phenotypes are desired.
Research Method Development and Refinement
The behavioral management team can assist faculty in developing or refining research protocols, either via the behavioral management of animals on study (Socialization, Enrichment, and Training) or by collaborating with faculty to help identify or develop appropriate methods to assess animal behavior, cognition, or wellbeing (including behavioral assessments of pain and mood).