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'Jebavý L, Struhar V, Vančata V, Vančatová M, 1994: Reproduction and Sexual Behaviour of Captive Colony of Rhesus Macaques in the Konárovice Primate Center - 1984-1994 Study. Anthropologie (Brno) 32, 3: 201-204'. |
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| Abstract | | The Konårovice Primate Center has bred rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) since 1958. The monkeys
are bred using the multimale-groupp rinciple, with 3—6m ales and 5 to 15 females in a breedingg roup. An
independent ground floor building equipped with internal breeding cages and premises, serves for breeding. In
favourable weather the animals can move freely from internal cages to external ones. Rhesus monkeys breed
regularly and rear their young. The total number of breeding monkeys is currently more than 140 animals. The
reproductive performance of rhesus monkeys was observed between 1981 and 1993. In that period 270 living young
were born. Reproduction was evaluated from the point of view of the single years, the origin of pattems, the age of
the mother and the sequence of pregnancy. In the Konårovice Primate Center, breeding has been most frequently
observed from June to February with the peak in the September — December period. Social hierarchy takes control
in breeding, so the highest-ranked male copulates the most frequently. Altogether 270 monkeys were bom alive. 221
new-born monkeys had been reared by their mother and 49 individuals were artificially rearedfrom various reasons.
178 individuals were weaned and 43 died before weaning in the group of 221 mother-reared youngsters. 36
individuals were weaned and 13 died before weaning in the group of 46 artificially-reared youngsters. The
distribution of births during the year was also studied. Mating and birth seasons are longer in captive breeding than
in the wild. Mating regularly takes place from June to October, births from December to May. Births in other months
are often due to the simple fact that already-pregnant females come for breeding. Our data show the trend of
domestication in the Konårovice macaque colony. Both the development of the whole population in Konårovice
and the decrease of seasonality in females during the last four years support this hypothesis. The results of study
show that it is possible to successfully breed rhesus monkeys in Central Europe. | | | | Keywords | | Macaca mulatta - Reproduction - Sexual Behaviour - Domestication Trends | | |
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