Do you remember going to the zoo when you were a child? Though it’s been a long time since most of us have been to the zoo, it’s an interesting place for little kids to see how other animals live firsthand. The idea that human beings and animals are inherently different or separate can quickly be dissolved by a trip to the zoo as we come to learn that we are actually quite similar. We all share the planet—and we even share an incredible amount of DNA.
For these reasons and others, moments like the one captured in this video have touched the hearts of millions.
The video was uploaded to YouTube by user Thavewur and has already climbed past five million views.
In the short clip, a mother can be seen cradling her baby near the glass of the orangutan exhibit. The baby is fully swaddled and thus invisible to the camera—but the orangutan can clearly see what’s going on and comes as close to the glass as it can get. With face pressed up against the glass, he and his mother look at one another gently. Then he even points at the baby!
After a moment, the orangutan even presses its lips up against the glass to give the baby a kiss.
The clip is spreading around the internet like wildfire—though it is not the only instance of orangutans showing love to humans.
Like human beings, orangutans are mammals who give birth to live young. Like humans, they keep their babies with them by their side as they grow up and the bonds they form are very close. It’s not hard to see why an orangutan would show so much affection to a human mother and child as they intuitively understand the loving bond that all mothers and children share.
Perhaps above all, the clip is a reminder for us to check the way we think about animals and the world around us.
Just like humans, animals have complex and rich inner lives and can feel a wide range of emotions. We are all interconnected and rely on one another to survive on this planet—and we all owe it to each other to be kind and understanding. The gesture of love offered by this orangutan to one little baby is only a gentle reminder of that.
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