Being separated from the ones we know who truly love us is heartbreaking.
That’s why a monkey in Sri Lanka was so distraught over the loss of his human friend.
The monkey was caught on video caressing 56-year-old Peetambaram Rajan, who lay in his casket.
According to The Sun, Rajan contracted a random and sudden illness and died at his home in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.
The Dodo reports that Rajan was known as a lover of animals. He would feed the local gray langur, monkeys native to the Indian subcontinent, every day.
That langur showed up at his funeral to pay her respects along with Rajan’s family and friends.
The poor thing was in mourning, just like his loved ones.
The monkey perched itself on the edge of the Rajan’s coffin and rubbed his chest as she looked down at him.
The funeral attendants looked on in awe as the monkey kissed Rajan farewell.
But the monkey couldn’t believe his friend was really gone.
Who would take the time to show that they cared and leave treats for her now? He began to pull Rajan’s arms up and down.
One news outlet said it look as if the monkey was trying to lead his friend away as if he thought the man was just sleeping and not deceased.
This made the crowd uneasy, which the monkey sensed and laid his friend’s hands back down.
The langur goes back to caressing his friend’s face before the video ends. Seeing the monkey at the funeral was a true testament to how Rajan loved.
“There is no doubt that many animals experience rich and deep emotions,” Dr. Mark Bekoff, an animal behaviorist, told Psychology Today. “It’s not a matter of if emotions have evolved in animals but why they have evolved as they have. We must never forget that our emotions are the gifts of our ancestors, our animal kin. We have feelings and so do other animals. Among the different emotions that animals display clearly and unambiguously is grief.”
The video ended up going viral and was shared on media outlets across the world.
“Unconditional love of the animal world. Human beings have reduced the relationships to need based ones. Very touching sight!” wrote one commenter.
“This is the respect this man has earned. God has shown and conveyed to this world through his passing away, this is how we néed to treat God’s creations in a similar manner respectfully and earn their respect. I have no words. Emotionally choked,” said another.
Many commented on the chimpanzee’s capacity for empathy.
“Chimpanzees are capable of feeling a wide range of emotions, including joy, happiness, and empathy. They look out for one another and often provide help when needed. For example, both male and female adults have been observed adopting orphaned chimps in the wild and at the Tchimpounga sanctuary. Chimpanzees have even been known to come to the aid of humans who have been threatened,” the Jane Goodall Institute writes.
Watch the monkey pay his respects in the video below.
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A monkey paying tribute at the #funeral of its master in #Batticaloa.#truelove. pic.twitter.com/Yf3XjRYXwc
— Aslaw CC (@effay123) October 19, 2022
