Animal Welfare; Draft Policy on Environment Enhancement for Nonhuman Primates

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

9 CFR Part 3

[Docket No. 98-121-1]

Animal Welfare; Draft Policy on Environment Enhancement for

Nonhuman Primates

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Draft policy statement and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: Under the Animal Welfare Act, our regulations require that

dealers, exhibitors, and research facilities that maintain nonhuman

primates develop and follow a plan for environment enhancement adequate

to promote the psychological well-being of the nonhuman primates. We

have developed a draft policy to clarify what we believe must be

considered and included in the plan in order for dealers, exhibitors,

and research facilities to adequately promote the psychological well-

being of nonhuman primates. We are seeking public comment on the draft

policy before we implement it.

DATES: We invite you to comment. We will consider all comments that we

receive by September 13, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Please send an original and three copies of your comments to

Docket No. 98-121-1, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS,

suite 3C03, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please

state that your comments refer to Docket No. 98-121-1. Comments

received may be inspected at USDA, room 1141, South Building, 14th

Street and Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. and

4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. Persons wishing to

inspect comments are requested to call ahead on (202) 690-2817 to

facilitate entry into the comment reading room.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Natalie Roberts, Ph.D., Program

Evaluation and Monitoring, PPD, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 120,

Riverdale, MD 20737-1234, (301) 734-8937; or e-mail:

Natalie.A.R[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) (7 U.S.C. 2131

et seq.) authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to promulgate

standards and other requirements governing the humane handling,

housing, care, treatment, and transportation of certain animals by

dealers, exhibitors, and other regulated entities. The Secretary of

Agriculture has delegated the responsibility for enforcing the AWA to

the Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

(APHIS). Regulations established under the AWA are contained in 9 CFR

parts 1, 2, and 3. The APHIS Animal Care program ensures compliance

with the AWA regulations by conducting inspections of premises with

regulated animals.

Subpart D of 9 CFR part 3 contains requirements for the humane

handling, care, treatment, and transportation of nonhuman primates.

Under subpart D, Sec. 3.81 requires that dealers, exhibitors, and

research facilities that maintain nonhuman primates develop, document,

and follow an appropriate plan for environment enhancement adequate to

promote the psychological well-being of nonhuman primates. Section 3.81

further requires that the plan be in accordance with currently accepted

professional standards, as cited in appropriate professional journals

or reference guides, and as directed by the attending veterinarian. At

a minimum, Sec. 3.81 requires the plan to address:

The social needs of nonhuman primates known to exist in

social groups;

Enrichment of the physical environment of the nonhuman

primates by providing means of expressing noninjurious species-typical

behavior;

Special considerations for infant and young nonhuman

primates; nonhuman primates that show signs of psychological distress,

are restricted in their activities, or are individually housed; and

great apes weighing over 110 lbs.

Further guidance and specific examples are provided in Sec. 3.81 for

determining when social grouping of nonhuman primates is inappropriate

and ways to provide environmental enrichment. In

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addition, Sec. 3.81 places restrictions on the use of restraint devices

and prescribes when and how individual nonhuman primates may be

exempted from participation in the plan.

History of APHIS Regulations on Psychological Well-Being of

Nonhuman Primates

The regulations in Sec. 3.81 were established as part of a final

rule published in the Federal Register on February 15, 1991 (56 FR

6426-6505, Docket No. 90-218). The final rule stipulated that plans for

promoting the psychological well-being of nonhuman primates must be

implemented by August 14, 1991. The establishment of these regulations

was in response to amendments to the Animal Welfare Act made by

Congress in 1985. Among other things, the 1985 amendments directed the

Secretary of Agriculture to promulgate new regulations for a physical

environment adequate to promote the psychological well-being of

nonhuman primates.

Nonhuman primates include more than 240 species, ranging from the

tiny marmoset to great apes. They live in different habitats in nature,

and their nutritional, activity, social, and environmental requirements

vary. As a result, the conditions appropriate for one species do not

necessarily apply to another. In addition, the 1985 amendments to the

Animal Welfare Act, while mandating that we establish regulations for a

physical environment adequate to promote the psychological well-being

of nonhuman primates, did not give us the authority to interfere with

actual research.

With these things in mind, we intentionally made the regulations

regarding promotion of psychological well-being flexible. The

regulations we established in Sec. 3.81 are performance standards,

meaning they state a goal that must be met (an environment adequate to

promote the psychological well-being of nonhuman primates) and provide

minimum requirements on how to meet the goal. Within the minimum

requirements, dealers, exhibitors, and research facilities have the

flexibility to develop a plan that will address the specific needs of

the nonhuman primates they maintain and, for research facilities, that

will address the scientific needs of research.

Further, what constitutes psychological well-being in each species

and each primate does not lend itself to precise definition. After

consultation with primate experts and using the accepted professional

standards available at the time, we based the regulations on the

concept that, to promote the psychological well-being of nonhuman

primates, a balance of several factors or areas of concern must be

addressed. As noted above, this concept, as set forth in Sec. 3.81,

involves providing methods of social interaction with other nonhuman

primates or humans; providing methods to physically and mentally

stimulate the nonhuman primates and occupy some of their time; and

considering the special needs of certain nonhuman primates, such as

infants and young juveniles or great apes. Stipulating areas of concern

that must be addressed, as opposed to more rigid design standards,

allows dealers, exhibitors, and research facilities flexibility to

tailor the plan so that it is appropriate to the species or individual

being maintained.

The performance standards in Sec. 3.81 require first and foremost

that the plan for environment enhancement be in accordance with

currently accepted professional standards, as cited in appropriate

professional journals or reference guides, and as directed by the

attending veterinarian. This allows flexibility for dealers,

exhibitors, and research facilities in developing their guides as

advances are made in the understanding of ways to assess and promote

psychological well-being in nonhuman primates.

Draft Policy on Psychological Well-Being of Nonhuman Primates

In 1996, after 5 years of experience enforcing Sec. 3.81, we

evaluated the effectiveness of the performance standards by surveying

our inspectors about their experience in reviewing environment

enhancement plans developed under Sec. 3.81. The results of our

evaluation indicated that dealers, exhibitors, and research facilities

did not necessarily understand how to develop an environment

enhancement plan that would adequately promote the psychological well-

being of nonhuman primates. In addition, there has been considerable

disagreement in various sectors of the public over the adequacy of the

performance standards in Sec. 3.81, as well as confusion among the

regulated public concerning on what basis they will be judged by

inspectors as meeting or not meeting the requirements. Our inspectors

requested information and clarification on how to judge whether someone

was meeting the requirements in Sec. 3.81.

While we continue to believe that the flexibility of the

performance standards in Sec. 3.81 is in the best interests of the

animals covered by the regulations, we do believe that additional

information on how to meet the standards in Sec. 3.81 is necessary. We

have, therefore, developed a draft policy on environment enhancement

for nonhuman primates. The draft policy appears at the end of this

document. We intend this policy to be used by dealers, exhibitors, and

research facilities as a basis in developing plans under Sec. 3.81 for

environment enhancement to promote the psychological well-being of

nonhuman primates.

We based the draft policy on an extensive review of the available

primate literature, professional journals, and reference guides. We

also consulted veterinarians, primatologists, and our inspectors. The

draft policy represents what we believe are the currently accepted

professional standards for promoting the psychological well-being of

nonhuman primates through enhancement of the primates' environment. We

believe this draft policy will assist regulated entities by clarifying

what actions we consider necessary in order to comply with the

requirements of Sec. 3.81.

We state in the draft policy that dealers, exhibitors, and research

facilities who house nonhuman primates will meet the requirements of

Sec. 3.81 if they develop and follow environment enhancement plans that

are in accordance with the draft policy. However, we recognize that

there may be other options that would also meet the requirements of

Sec. 3.81. Our adoption of this draft policy would not prevent

regulated entities from developing practices other than those in the

draft policy, as long as those practices meet the requirements of

Sec. 3.81. Likewise, our adoption of this draft policy would not

prevent regulated entities from using alternative sources or research

materials in developing their environment enhancement plans, as long as

the resulting plans meet the requirements of Sec. 3.81. If a dealer,

exhibitor, or research facility wants assurance that an alternative

plan (not in accordance with the draft policy) is in compliance with

Sec. 3.81, they may request approval of the plan in writing from the

Deputy Administrator of Animal Care.

The draft policy identifies five general elements that we believe

are critical to environments that adequately promote the psychological

well-being of nonhuman primates: Social grouping, social needs of

infants, structure and substrate, foraging opportunities, and

manipulanda. These five elements are represented in the minimum

requirements in Sec. 3.81 concerning social grouping and environmental

enrichment. The five elements, and detailed information provided for

each, describe what we believe to be the currently accepted

professional

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standards to meet the minimum requirements in Sec. 3.81. We also state

in the draft policy that facilities are encouraged to explore

additional elements and innovations and to exceed the requirements of

the draft policy and the regulations.

In addition, we have prepared a report that describes the

scientific basis for the draft policy and the methods we used in

developing the draft policy, including a literature review and

discussion and a list of references. You can obtain a copy of this

report by contacting the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT at the beginning of this document. The report can also be

viewed at any Animal Care Regional Office and in our comment reading

room. The address for our comment reading room appears in the ADDRESSES

section at the beginning of this document. Finally, the report is

posted on the Animal Care home page at

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac/info.html.

We are seeking public comment on the content of the draft policy

before we implement it. The draft policy is as follows:

Draft Policy on Environment Enhancement for the Psychological Well-

Being of Nonhuman Primates

The regulations in 9 CFR 3.81 require that dealers, exhibitors, and

research facilities develop, document and follow an appropriate plan

for environment enhancement adequate to promote the psychological well-

being of nonhuman primates, and that the plan be in accordance with

currently accepted professional standards as cited in appropriate

professional journals or reference guides and as directed by the

attending veterinarian. We have developed this policy to clarify what

we believe must be considered and included in an environment

enhancement plan developed under Sec. 3.81 in order to meet the

requirement of adequately promoting the psychological well-being of

nonhuman primates. We have based this policy on a review of the

available primate literature, professional journals and reference

guides, and the collective experience of field inspectors,

veterinarians, and primatologists.

Dealers, exhibitors, and research facilities who house nonhuman

primates will meet the requirements of Sec. 3.81 if they develop and

follow an environment enhancement plan (referred to below as ``plan'')

in accordance with this policy. If a plan is not developed in

accordance with this policy, the plan may or may not meet the

requirements of Sec. 3.81. If a dealer, exhibitor, or research facility

wants assurance that an alternative plan (not in accordance with this

policy) is in compliance with Sec. 3.81, they may request approval of

the plan in writing from the Deputy Administrator of Animal Care.

Based on our research, we have identified five elements that are

critical to environments that adequately promote the psychological

well-being of nonhuman primates:

A. Social Grouping

B. Social Needs of Infants

C. Structure and Substrate

D. Foraging Opportunities

E. Manipulanda

The remainder of this policy contains what we believe are the

currently accepted professional standards to address these five

critical elements, based on our research and review of the available

literature, as explained above. The first two critical elements, Social

Grouping and Social Needs of Infants, are a clarification of

Sec. 3.81(a), which deals with the impact of social grouping on

psychological well-being. Structure and Substrate, Foraging

Opportunities, and Manipulanda are critical elements which clarify

Sec. 3.81(b), Environmental Enrichment.

Facilities are encouraged to explore additional elements and

innovations and to exceed what is in this policy.

A. Social Grouping

Section 3.81(a) requires that a plan must address the social needs

of nonhuman primates of species known to exist in social groups in

nature. According to our research, primates are clearly social beings

and social housing is the most appropriate way to promote normal social

behavior and meet social needs. In order to address the social needs of

nonhuman primates under Sec. 3.81(a), the plan must provide for each

primate of a species known to be social in nature to be housed with

other primates whenever possible. The housing options listed below are

listed in a hierarchy of preference, with group housing being the most

desirable plan. Housing should maximize opportunities for a full range

of species-appropriate contact, except that reproduction may be limited

or prevented entirely. Social housing should be designed to reduce the

risk of injury from others in the enclosure. Compatibility must be

determined as described in 9 CFR 3.81(a)(3). Housing options include:

1. Housing in an enclosure with one or more compatible primates.

For group-living species, species-typical groupings are strongly

encouraged.

2. Housing in an enclosure without another compatible primate, but

with the animal having the opportunity for continuous visual, auditory,

olfactory, and tactile contact with another compatible primate (such as

through adjacent wire mesh or bars). For primate species in which

grooming other primates is an important social function, sufficient

tactile contact range is particularly important.

3. Housing without the animal having the opportunity for continuous

visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile contact, but with such contact

on a periodic basis, through scheduled social interaction with one or

more compatible primates.

4. Housing without the animal having the opportunity for continuous

visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile contact with a compatible

primate, but with daily positive interaction with compatible human care

givers. The human contact should be of sufficient type and duration to

compensate for restricted social housing. We do not consider basic

routine husbandry or medical or experimental manipulation to be

sufficient human contact.

We consider pair or group housing (Option 1) to be the most

desirable housing option and we expect this option to be used whenever

possible. We consider this particularly important for chimpanzees,

gorillas, gibbons, and siamangs, which seem to suffer particularly from

being housed individually. If Option 1 is not utilized, the plan must

provide an explanation and justification for each diminished degree of

social interaction. Social housing also facilitates important primate

behaviors associated with signals that communicate emotional states or

other information between individuals. Acceptable reasons for choosing

Options 2, 3, or 4 would include:

1. The health and well-being of the individual primate;

2. Documented unavailability of compatible individuals;

3. The scientific requirements of a protocol approved by an

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) (for registered

research facilities); or

4. The animal's assignment to an IACUC-approved project that will

result in euthanasia or disposition within a short period (normally

less than 60 days).

Virtually any social change can be stressful to the nonhuman

primates. In order to effectively manage social groups and minimize

stress, the plan should include procedures for introduction,

separation, and socialization, including minimizing unnecessary

separations for established

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compatible pairs or groups, whether temporary or permanent, and

minimizing the negative effects of necessary separations.

If individual primates are strongly socialized toward humans and

distressed by other primates, the plan should provide for daily,

extensive positive human interaction in addition to that associated

with routine husbandry, medical care, experimental manipulation,

training, or exhibition.

Without some socialization to humans, contact with humans becomes

an environmental stressor for the primates, over which they have no

control. When contact with human facility personnel is a necessary part

of the primate's life, the plan must include a program of husbandry

conditioning and habituation to human manipulation. This is

particularly important for any primate subjected to frequent conscious

manipulation or restraint that may cause more than momentary or slight

pain or distress, or frequent chemical restraint to accomplish minor

procedures or manipulations.

B. Social Needs of Infants

Section 3.81(c)(1) requires that special attention be given to

infants and young juveniles. Nonhuman primate infants and their care-

giving parents have specific social needs. The psychological well-being

of nonhuman primate infants depends on appropriate infant development.

In most situations, the optimal environment for infant development is

one that allows the infant to remain with its biological mother through

weaning in the company of a species-normal social group. Additionally,

reproductive success (including reproductive behaviors, fertility,

prenatal adequacy, parturition, and parental care) is generally

considered to be one of the strongest indicators of psychological well-

being in adult captive nonhuman primates.

All facilities with one or more breeding groups of primates should

include in their plan a program to ensure species-typical sensory,

motor, psychological and social development of infants. The plan should

also include criteria for removal of any infants from the care-giving

parent(s) if necessary. Separation should be directed by the attending

veterinarian or other qualified professional and should be customized

to the characteristics of the individual primate.

Infants should not be permanently removed from the care giving

parent(s) before an age that approximates the age of infant

independence in nature, except where necessary for the health and well-

being of the infant or dam.

Although we stress that it is important not to disrupt the bond

between the infant and its parents, there may be situations when

infants must be separated earlier than is optimal. When infants must be

separated from the care giving parent(s) prior to the approximate age

of separation in nature, our research indicates that at least the

following separation procedures should be included in the plan in order

to minimize distress and ensure appropriate sensory, motor,

psychological, and social development of the infant:

Details of separation procedures used to minimize distress

for the infant and the care-giving parent(s);

Details of any hand-raising or fostering practices. There

should be specific provisions, in accordance with the professional

literature, to provide the infant with a level of sensory, motor,

psychological, and social stimulation approximating that which it would

receive from its care giving parent(s), natal group and/or peer group

under normal circumstances. Hand raising practices that are likely to

be detrimental to the development of species-appropriate behavior or to

the well-being of the individual at a later time, such as those

involving social restriction from primates of their own species, should

not be used;

A suitable surrogate parent for artificially reared monkey

or ape infants.

The plan should include a program to develop and maintain species-

typical social competence through exposure to peers and/or adults of

the same or compatible species. Socialization to humans and to other

animals, such as dogs, may be simultaneously maintained when desirable.

C. Environmental Enrichment--Structure and Substrate

The social, developmental, and physical environment are

interdependent in ensuring psychological well-being of nonhuman

primates. Section 3.18(b) requires that the physical environment in

primary enclosures must be enriched by providing means of expressing

noninjurious species-typical activities. The most basic components of

the physical environment are the enclosure structure (its size, shape,

and design) and the substrates within it (flooring, bedding, and

furnishings, including perches, nest boxes, etc.). In order to promote

psychological well-being for nonhuman primates, primary enclosures for

housing and/or exercise need to be of adequate shape and design, and

have adequate furnishings, to accommodate species-appropriate behaviors

by all inhabitants. Each primate should be able to, at a minimum,

engage in:

1. Species-typical postures and positions for resting, sleeping,

feeding, exploration, and play;

2. Species-typical locomotion; and

3. Social adjustments.

Primary enclosures should contain elevated resting structures

appropriate for the species. The type, number, and orientation of the

structures in each enclosure should be appropriate to the number and

social arrangement of the animals in the enclosure. Structures should

be positioned to facilitate social adjustments and not interfere with

normal locomotion.

Primates of species that normally hang from limbs and/or tails

should be provided with structures and complexities that enable them to

do so comfortably.

Primates of species with long tails should be provided with

sufficient vertical space to permit normal upright resting postures

without restriction of tail position or placement of the tail outside

the enclosure or into waste pans.

Primates of species that normally rest or sleep in cavities, or

which are nocturnal or partly nocturnal, should be provided with nest

boxes or similar structures. Primates of species that construct nests

for sleeping or resting should be provided with artificial or natural

nest materials such as hay, browse, or blankets.

Enclosures should be designed, constructed, and furnished so that

individual primates may reasonably avoid other individuals or

frightening stimuli. Flight distances, visual barriers, and placement

of structures such as perches or shelters should be considered during

design and furnishing.

Primarily terrestrial species should have access to suitable

flooring and resting areas. Patas monkeys should have regular access to

large exercise areas that accommodate running.

Primate species that scent-mark should be provided with suitable

scent-retaining surfaces. The surfaces may be part of the cage

structure, part of cage furniture, or in the form of temporary objects

and should be replaced or sanitized as appropriate.

Enclosures should be designed, constructed, and furnished to

facilitate social introduction, reintroduction, separation, or

temporary restraint.

Aged, physically impaired, or debilitated individuals should be

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provided with structures suited to their physical abilities.

D. Environmental Enrichment--Foraging Opportunities

In the wild, nonhuman primates spend a significant proportion of

their time foraging for food. ``Working'' for food is one of the most

frequently found species-typical activities for nonhuman primates.

Captive nonhuman primates that are not provided with enough time-

consuming foraging tasks may self-mutilate, over-groom, or become

aggressive.

As part of enriching the physical environment under Sec. 3.81(b),

the plan should provide for each primate to have, on a daily basis,

some type of time-consuming foraging opportunity. The foraging

enrichment can include a wide variety of time-consuming activities.

These activities may include providing something as simple as whole

fruits or vegetables with high processing time, providing standard

monkey biscuits in novel ways to increase food acquisition times,

providing more complex types of devices such as puzzle feeders, or

scattering food in substrates. Food items and foraging options should

be chosen with consideration for the species and abilities of the

individuals involved so that each primate can readily obtain its

minimum daily nutritional requirements. The diet for each primate

should contain a variety of tastes, smells, and textures. Gnawing or

gouging wood should be provided for marmosets and tamarins.

For primates on continuously restricted diets as part of medical

treatment or experimental protocol, the plan should provide a

substitution for foraging, meaning opportunities to engage in time-

consuming cognitive activities or foraging involving nonfood rewards

(such as ice cubes or toys). The cognitive activities should be

voluntary--we do not consider activities that are part of experimental

manipulation to be adequate.

E. Environmental Enrichment--Manipulanda

Manipulanda are objects that can be moved, used, or altered in some

manner by the primate's hands. Manipulanda can stimulate several senses

and permit the animal to experience novelty and a sense of control over

part of its environment. Manipulanda have been shown to be effective in

increasing species-appropriate behavior and decreasing abnormal

behavior.

As part of enriching the physical environment under Sec. 3.81(b),

our research indicates that the plan should provide for each primate to

have a variety of portable or moveable items for manipulation available

to them. The size and type of item(s) and its presentation should be

safe and suitable for the species, age, sex, and characteristics of the

individuals. The number of items and their presentation should take

into account hoarding or aggressive behavior by animals in a social

group and changed as often as necessary to maintain appropriate

novelty. Primate species that groom others of their own species but

must be caged without tactile contact should have daily access to

suitable objects or substrates for grooming.

Considerations for Meeting the Critical Elements

There are other criteria which our research showed must be

considered in relation to all five critical elements:

Documentation

Novelty

Control over the environment

Sensory stimulation

Exemptions

Individuals in persistent psychological distress.

Documentation

The plan should be designed with consideration for the species,

age, sex, health status, rearing, and behavioral history of the

primate. The plan should document:

Scientific justification for all aspects of the plan,

including professional journals and reference guides consulted.

Changes in the facility's primate population.

Changes in the needs of individual primates.

Assessments of the effectiveness of the program in

promoting species-appropriate behavior.

Novelty

The plan should provide for appropriate levels of novelty in the

items or strategies chosen. Novelty is variation in enrichment devices

and strategies. Appropriate novelty includes both the physical

properties inherent in any object or situation and the timing or

duration that the novelty is provided. Novel items should be provided

in sufficient quantity and located within the environment so as to be

accessible to all primates. The cognitive abilities of primates should

be considered in the choice of novelty provided. Novel stimuli should

sustain their interest, encourage activity, and redirect inappropriate

activity to behaviors appropriate for their species. Each facility

should document in its plan how and with what frequency novelty is

maintained.

Control Over the Environment

The plan should provide individual primates with the opportunity to

exercise control over some aspects of their environment. Complex

objects or environments that can be altered or controlled by the

animals provide them with enhanced opportunities to utilize their

cognitive abilities. Examples of control include opening doors and peep

holes, moving indoors or outdoors, and influencing the temperature and

lighting in the cage, as well as avoiding noxious stimuli.

Sensory Stimulation

The plan should provide for each of the five senses to be

stimulated in a species-appropriate and non-distressing manner.

Exemptions may be made for individuals with sensory impairment.

The plan should provide for primates to be given the opportunity to

avoid or distance themselves from objects that may be frightening.

Levels of stimulation should not be excessive or discernibly

distressing, and individuals must have the opportunity to avoid

excessive exposure to such stimuli.

Exemptions

In accordance with Sec. 3.81(e), exemptions for individual primates

from various aspects of the plan may be made as part of an IACUC-

approved protocol. Section 3.81(e) also allows exemptions to be made by

the attending veterinarian because of the animals health or condition

or in consideration of its well-being. As required by Sec. 3.81(e), the

basis for exemptions must be documented. Exemptions should be only to

the extent and length of time necessary. Section 3.81(e) requires that

exemptions be reviewed at least every 30 days by the attending

veterinarian or, for IACUC-approved protocols, at least annually.

Exemptions should be reviewed more often if appropriate to the

circumstances and should be adjusted as circumstances change. If, due

to medical treatment or experimental protocol, a critical element

cannot be satisfied, additional enrichment must be provided as

compensation.

Individuals in Persistent Psychological Distress

The plan should provide that, for primates in persistent

psychological distress, a primate behaviorist or veterinarian with

formal training and experience in primate behavior will be consulted.

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Done in Washington, DC, this 9th day of May 1999.

A. Cielo,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 99-18050 Filed 7-14-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-34-P