Little Carlo, a baby monkey living in a sanctuary, had formed a deep attachment—not to a toy, not to food, but to something simple and soft: a towel.
From the moment he was rescued, the towel had been his source of comfort. It was warm, familiar, and wrapped around him during his first days away from his mother. He clung to it when he was scared, tucked his face into it when he slept, and dragged it behind him like a security blanket.
But one day, during cleaning time, a caregiver gently took the towel away to wash it. At first, Carlo looked confused. He wandered in circles, checking the usual corner where it had been. When he couldn’t find it, his eyes filled with tears.
Then, he began to cry.
It was a soft, heart-tugging wail—part sadness, part panic. He climbed to the top of his enclosure, calling out with tiny, pitiful sounds. Staff rushed to check on him, realizing what was wrong. Carlo wasn’t hurt or hungry—he simply missed his towel.
