Article Courtesy of Viory.Video
Guadalajara Zoo has introduced a 40-day-old patas monkey named Yuji, who is being hand-reared after being rejected by his mother.
Footage shows Yuji sunbathing as part of his daily routine, clinging to a stuffed toy used to replicate maternal attachment.
The young monkey has drawn attention online for using the toy as emotional support, echoing similar cases such as the viral macaque Punch in Japan.
“A baby of any monkey will always be super cute and adding that he is like hugging a stuffed toy creates tenderness and all, but as I have mentioned in other interviews, it is a necessary procedure because the baby has to be attached all the time to something that, in a normal case, would be his mother, so stuffed toys are used to simulate the attachment to his mother,” said Natalia Fernandez, a veterinarian and caretaker.
Yuji is currently fed milk enriched with multivitamins five times a day to replace nutrients normally provided by his mother. Caretakers have also begun introducing purees as his teeth start to develop.
As part of his rehabilitation, he undergoes daily 15-minute sun exposure sessions before being moved to an area known as ‘Monkeyland’, where he spends around five hours in visual and auditory contact with other monkeys of his species.
Zoo staff expect Yuji to fully integrate with other patas monkeys within six months, once he has gained sufficient strength and is able to feed independently.
Video and Article Courtesy of Viory.Video
