When we witness Minea turning toward innocent tiny Mako with that sharp intensity in her eyes, the question, “What are you going to do on innocent Mako?” is not just a dramatic line — it is actually a warning signal rising from the deep instinctual structure of primate psychology. Every single social conflict between baby monkeys contains meaning. Nothing is random at this level. Minea’s body language — the stiff shoulders, the direct stare, the charging posture, the leaning forward — these are all micro-messages that announce an action before the action arrives. In nature, primates do not punch or bite first. They signal first. But when human observers do not understand the signals, it looks like aggression suddenly appears from nowhere.
Mako, because he is smaller, younger, softer, more fragile, is naturally the target who activates Minea’s dominance script. Dominating a weaker individual creates a feeling of immediate control inside the tiny brain. In the wild, this behavior would help establish social ranking — who moves first, who gains food first, who gets protected first. So Minea is not “evil.” Minea is following an ancient neurological code that has not yet been softened by nurture.
This is why supervision is not optional — it is required every second. Because aggression among infant primates escalates in under one second. No chance to negotiate. No chance to shout a warning. The intervention must be anticipatory. If we wait until Minea already pushes, already bites, already drags, it is too late. The damage — emotional or physical — is done.
So when the caregiver sees those early signs — the stiff tail, the intense stare, the hunched back, the sudden stillness — that is the moment to interrupt Minea gently. One small redirection like moving Minea toward a toy, handing her a small treat for calm behavior, placing a soft boundary between her and Mako — this transforms the violent impulse into a controlled moment. And then something extremely important happens: Minea learns that calm is rewarded, not dominance. She learns that she does not need to hurt someone smaller to gain a sense of power.
Meanwhile Mako also learns something powerful — protection exists.
Because yes — the question “What are you going to do?” is the right question. But the better question — the one that shapes the future — is: How do we teach Minea that kindness is stronger than intimidation?
