SUFFERING MONKEYS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 54, 5 March 1898, Page 3 (Supplement)

SUFFERING MONKEYS.

A hunter, while travelling through a tropical forest in Central America, thoughtlessly shot one of the ■ monkeys Avhich are numerous there, and had every occasion to be alarmed at the demonstration of anger Avhich folloAved his act. The Avbole company made threats of vengeance against him, while one of them deliberately broke oft' the "branch of a tree and made efforts to strike him with it.

The sympathy Avhich monkeys have for those of their kind Avbo are injured is mentioned by many naturalists.

Certain female monkeys kept by a naturalist, in North Africa-, died from grief consequent on the death of their young.

An instance is also narrated in which a female monkey having- been shot, the leader of the troop came to the door of the tent and mourned for the body, after indulging in a series of threatening gestures. The body Avas given him, and thereafter he retreated, bearing it away, with every expression of sorrow, in his arms.

The gibbons are said to attend carefully to injured companions, but to take no notice of dead friends. A monkey- has also been known to extend a cord to another Avhich had fallen overboard from a vesel.

There are many instances, indeed, which indicate both great reasoning power and great kindness on the part of these interesting little creatures.