The Hindu : National : No monkey business this

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 14, 2005

National

National

No monkey business this

D. Radhakrishnan

The monkey and the puppy at Lovedale on Tuesday. — Photo: D. Radhakrishnan

Udhagamandalam: A dog may be man's best friend but it took a monkey to turn saviour to a puppy at Lovedale near here. For the past few days, people in the town are witness to a rare display of love and affection.

The puppy, all wet and shivering in the winter cold, was first seen near the railway station on Sunday, according to the Station Master, N. Pramod. Even as the locals were wondering what to do, a monkey descended on the scene from a nearby tree. It did not waver, didn't have a second thought. It patted the puppy affectionately, cuddled it, and then lifted it up and ran into the nearby forest. The locals looked on amazed. On Monday the saviour and its charge could not be spotted. Come Tuesday, the monkey, holding the puppy close, appeared atop Mr. Pramod's house. When people tried to get close, the monkey fled up a tree with the puppy clutched to its chest.

It then proceeded to eat some nuts, feeding the puppy too.

After a while, the monkey came down and sat on a roof and accepted some food from onlookers.

It shared the tidbits with the puppy, cuddling and kissing it all the while.

As more and more people converged on the scene, monkey and friend walked off into the forest.

And, thereby hangs a tale of love.

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