A monkey in southern India seems to have a
serious case of 'puppy love' and has ‘adopted’
a homeless puppy.
The rhesus macaque has taken the abandoned
dog under its wing – and now the pair are
inseparable.
They are so close in fact, and their bond
so unbreakable, that they go everywhere together
and are the talk of Erode, Tamil Nadu in southern
India.
A series of touching photographs, viewed 170,000
times on Facebook, shows the rhesus macaque
feeding, cleaning and protecting the tiny
puppy as though it were its own baby.
Another shot shows the monkey picking dirt
and fleas off the little dog, in a cleaning
session in the middle of the street.
Bizarrely, he even clutches the puppy to its
chest as it leaps from a tree - as the dog
holds on.
The monkey also shows its aggressive side,
bearing its teeth to frighten off stray dog.
'People who have seen them all spoke of their
strong mutual affection and described their
bond as the most caring thing in the world,'
onlooker Sasi Kumar told Indian news outlet
Zee News.
'To take care of a puppy in danger and protect
him like a parent, their undying affection
gives us a valuable lesson about relationships.
'It seems the monkey must have lost its baby
and was heartbroken. It is quite possible
that it saw its own baby in the puppy and
decided to protect and adopt it.'
When a bowl of food was put out for the pair
the monkey stepped back and let the little
puppy eat its fill first. As it ate, the monkey
stood over the puppy, sheltering it from danger.
In one photo he can be seen feeding grapes
to the dog. In another the monkey is seen
picking dirt and fleas from his four-legged
friend.
The story behind the pairing is a mystery,
and quite how the two unlikely animals became
such firm friends is unknown.
But although they appear happy, there are
fears forest department will decide the monkey
can't look after the puppy and separate them.
