A Monkey Adopts An Orphaned Puppy

Every so often we are surprised by news of animals that adopt offspring of other species. And, as this type of information tends to touch many, the images are viralized at high speed on social networks. Today we bring you the story of a macaque monkey that adopted an orphan puppy.

Learn how a macaque cares for an orphaned puppy

The two little animals live on the streets of Erode, a city in the state of Tamil Nadu, in India. The monkey began to protect the puppy when it found him very weak and since then they have become inseparable.

The macaque cares for the orphan puppy with maternal dedication:

• Defend it from other stray dogs.
• She carries him in her arms as she would her own child.
• It removes parasites.
• When feeding, let the puppy eat first.

Luckily for the little animals, the locals have grown fond of them and often provide them with food.

After going viral on the web, the story of the macaque that lives on the streets of a city in India with an orphan puppy that it adopted, aroused the tenderness of many people around the world.

Information about macaques

The primate in this story is a rhesus macaque. It is a species of monkeys very common in places like Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and South China, although they have also been introduced in regions like Florida, in North America.

Among its main features are:

• Their color varies from brown to gray and they have a pink face and buttocks.
• Males reach a height of 53 centimeters and a weight of 7.7 kilograms.
• The females measure about 47 centimeters and their weight averages 5.3 kilos.
• They have a life expectancy of 25 years.
• They stand out for their intelligence and adapt to different habitats.
• They are omnivorous. Their diet includes roots, fruits, seeds, bark, insects, and small animals.
• They usually give birth to one calf a year.

As a significant data, we can also point out that the Rhesus antigen found in the blood of these monkeys made it possible to identify the different human blood groups.

Reasons why some animals adopt offspring of other species

But why do some animals adopt offspring of other species? The answer seems to be found in the maternal instinct, although there is no absolute certainty about it.

In general, these cases occur in females, who are usually able to breastfeed and who have lost their young. But, in addition, specialists point out as possible reasons for these adoptions, that:

• Breastfeeding on a regular basis would induce ovulation. For this reason, the females would become more apt to give birth in the future.
• Animals seek “maternal experience” for when they have their own young.

However, in some cases we could also speak of altruism or simply solidarity and love, virtues that we humans should not attribute to ourselves.

Other cases of animals that adopted offspring of other species

As an example,  we tell you similar cases of adoption of offspring of other species :

• A group of sperm whales took in a deformed dolphin that cannot swim as fast as its peers.
• A female dog became the mother of a chimpanzee who had been orphaned in a zoo. Another suckled ferrets.
• A cat that was raising her baby easily accepted four young hedgehogs whose mother had died.
• A kitten readily accepted a Shih Tzu puppy that had been rejected by her mother and raised him with her three young children.

Adoption between animals of different species is a happy reality

The adoption between animals of different species is undoubtedly a fact and occurs both in captivity and in the wild.

We hope that the story of the macaque and the orphan puppy that lives on the streets of an Indian city has a happy ending.

Meanwhile, the tenderness that his images awaken us a little away from the madness of a world that daily mistreats humans and animals in different corners of the planet.

Photos: Facebook / Dinamalardaily