UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIPS by Jennifer S. Holland

The Macaque and The Kitten
From UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIPS by Jennifer S. Holland

Photo credit: © Anne young

There is a sacred forest in the town of Ubud, on the Indonesian island of Bali, where monkeys roam freely over the stones of a Hindu temple built centuries ago. The primates are long-tailed macaques, and many local villagers believe they guard the religious site against evil spirits.

Photo credit: © Anne young

One macaque recently brought its protective instinct to a more secular task—safeguarding a scrappy kitten that had strayed into arm's reach. The macaque, a young male, would groom his feline friend, hug and nuzzle it, and even lay his head on the kitten's head as if it were a pillow. Although this species of monkey is quite social—and often lives without fear in close contact with people—this one wanted to keep his pet kitty to himself. He became wary of all the primates around him, and if other macaques or people got too close, he would try to hide his prize—once even using a bit of leaf to cover it—or climb higher or move deeper into the forest with the kitten in his arms.
The kitten, meanwhile, had plenty of opportunities to escape the macaque's clutches... [but] it seemed content to be carried around in the bigger animal's embrace.
Read more about the macaque and the kitten in the bestselling book Unlikely Friendships by Jennifer S. Holland. ©2011. http://www.freekibble.com/redirect.asp?go=536.