Callan, T. 2014. Primates Presents. Enrichment Record 18, 5-6.

In the world of enrichment, ideas can be limitless. Sometimes, you just have to think outside the box... or in this case, "inside the box"! Who doesn't love a present with the colorful exterior and a surprise interior? This is how the idea of Primate Presents was created. Primates are very intelligent as well as curious. Providing them with an enrichment device such as a colorful or reflective cardboard box filled with foraging material and food treats supplies structural, sensory, and nutritional enrichment. Primates generally inspect these presents at first, or use the reflective boxes as mirrors and then begin opening the boxes. Some primates tend to tear apart the boxes with either their hands or teeth, while others gently open the box as we expect humans would do. Some primates empty the contents by demolishing the box or flipping the box upside down, while others gently forage for treats with the box still intact. The duration of interest solely depends on the animal. Although this is a single use enrichment device, the cost is still relatively low. Through a wholesale paper supplier (www.papermart.com), we purchase a case of 100 gable boxes which cost $25-$36 depending on the color and design. That's only 25 cents-36 cents per box! For foraging materials, we shred our unwanted paper (free of staples, tape, laminated paper, etc.) in our facility; cost is FREE! As for treats, we use anything from trail mix and peanuts to fruit snacks and marshmallows that we have in our inventory. For example, a case of 96 individual packages of fruit snacks costs 28 cents or 29 cents per package. Each Primate Present would get the contents of an individual package.This makes the total cost of a Primate Present only 54 cents-65 cents each. The gable boxes arrive flat and need to be popped into box shape, which takes mere seconds, and then need to be filled. The total time it takes to prepare 40 Primate Presents is about 6 minutes. Besides the pros of low cost, minimal man hours and high animal interest, this present isn't just for Cynomolgus monkeys, but for other species, like the Gottingen mini pig, as well. The only con to this enrichment device would have to be the cleanup. Small pieces of cardboard can be washed down the drains, but if the primate keeps the box intact, then technicians will need to manually remove the box. After watching the excitement and natural foraging behaviors displayed by the primates and rooting behavior of the mini pigs, the pros outweigh the cons!