We can learn so much about the capacity for animal kindness by looking to the ways in which monkeys and gorillas interact with other species.
Take for instance Koko, who is totally a “cat person,” and welcomes kittens home in her great big arms with gentle tenderness, exactly as any of us would! To watch such a large animal cuddle something so small is heartwarming. There’s also this baby monkey who tries to wake his cat friend from her nap — and she’s not having it. But it’s not for trying, bless his little heart!
At the Saitama Zoo in Japan, these squirrel monkeys and capybaras share an enclosure. Capybaras are super large rodents (and adorable ones, if we’re being honest), and the two species wouldn’t normally interact. One day maintenance workers for the zoo noticed the monkeys taking unusual modes of transportation on the backs of their capybara friends. Why? It baffles zookeepers — but hey, it sure beats walking.
Capybaras are generally pretty mild-mannered, and squirrel monkeys are pretty playful little guys. But because they share a home, the capybaras let these playful little monkeys ride their backs and even…give them kisses!
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