A heartbreaking scene unfolded at the edge of an ancient temple—one that echoes the harsh truths of life among wild monkeys. A poor baby monkey, recently kidnapped by another monkey, fell from the temple ledge. Too small to fight back, too weak to escape, the baby had no choice but to cling on—until it couldn’t anymore.
The kidnapping had taken place just hours before. In monkey troops, especially in places with high competition and shifting dominance, baby snatching is tragically common. A rival female or a confused young mother may take a baby—not to harm, but to claim, to comfort, or to use for social gain. Unfortunately, they don’t always know how to care for the infant.
This baby, still fragile and dependent, was held too tightly, dragged too roughly. As the captor climbed higher along the temple’s crumbling stones, the baby struggled to hold on. Its cries were soft at first, then sharper—until a slip, a sudden jerk, and the tiny body fell.
The drop was far. Time seemed to pause.
Visitors and nearby caretakers rushed to the scene. The baby lay motionless at first, then stirred—injured, but alive. Its little chest rose and fell, its face marked with confusion and pain. Gentle hands scooped it up, wrapping it in cloth, whispering calm as they checked for broken bones.
