The Role of Play in Animal Behavior

Play is initiated when the animal is in a pretty good psychological or physical state. So if the animal is, you know, starving or really hungry or it's under a serious threat from a predator or the climate's really bad, play is less likely to occur. Studies have shown that monkeys in the wild play more and in zoos too in good weather than when it's cold or stormy or rainy. Similarly, starving animals or sick animals don't often play.