An automated exercise wheel for primates

Both adult and juvenile nonhuman primates can be unpredictable, difficult to handle, and potentially dangerous. Accordingly, in evaluating their activity level, they must be carefully confined. We have modified and redesigned an exercise system for primates. The exercise wheel was originally described by Curran, Wiegel, and Stevens (1972) and later adapted by Elizondo (1989). Our modifications and training procedures, which allowed us to bring the behavior of the monkey under stimulus control within 4 weeks, are described here.