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In the wild, most animals that become mothers are very careful with their babies and protect them no matter what. But in some cases, when they feel in danger, or when humans intervene, incidents like the next one can happen. It happened one summer day in Thailand. A rescue group famous for their significant efforts in saving wild animals, the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT), got a call about an abandoned baby long-tailed macaque.
They immediately went to rescue him. That’s how this baby got his first bottle of milk, a name, and a safe house!
20. A Tiny Baby
This little baby macaque was only eight-weeks-old. He was all alone, left to fend for himself. His mother was nowhere to be found. But, unfortunately, she had a good reason to leave him behind, and it’s gut-wrenching…
19. Scared Macaques Running Away…
Before the baby macaque was found, “a de-sexing program to control the macaque population had recently been conducted, with the aim of helping alleviate human-macaque conflict in the area,” explained WFFT. The mother was probably frightened and left him behind.
18. This is Phubai
The team found the baby macaque and took them to the center. He was named Phubai, and he immediately got his first bottle of milk. You won’t believe what he did after that! This little guy was finally in good hands!
17. Fighting to Survive
In Thailand, long-tailed macaques are considered a pest because they interfere with human activities. However, the WFFT saved this baby and gave him a home to live in and to survive. This is what they said about him…
16. Alone, Without His Mother
‘We received a call about a very young infant long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis) that had been found after being abandoned by his mother,’ explained WFFT. If they didn’t get there, tiny Phubai would have starved to death or would have been killed by humans!
15. Not a Good Fate
These types of monkey don’t get to have a good life. They’re usually bred in facilities to be exported as test subjects in labs. Some are used in the pet trade, and the ones that get to live in the wild are threatened by the loss of their habitat…
14. A Competition
‘Increasing competition between macaques and humans due to the increase in need of land for agriculture and other human activities is the foremost reason that macaques are persecuted as pests,’ explained WFFT. But this little guy was now safe!
13. Someone’s Hungry!
Phubai was taken to the center, and he received his first bottle of milk. The rescuers only gave him one little bottle, enough to get him in a stable condition. But he started staring at his new mommies and then he did this…
12. Give Me More!
He was asking for more milk! He was dehydrated, and he immediately drank his first bottle. Then, he started sucking on the caretakers’ hands, asking for more. A little more time went by, and he would receive another bottle, and then another one…
11. The Mother Wasn’t Found
WFFT wrote that during the de-sexing programs, ‘the males were de-sexed and then all the macaques were released back to the wild. This can be a stressful time for the macaques, it seems that this little guy was left behind by his mother.’
10. A Safe Home
But Phubai, even though he was left without a mother by his side, he is now safe. The tiny macaque will have no worries for the rest of his life. He will get a huge home, which he will share with other orphans like him.
9. WFFT Staff Babysitting Phubai
Phubai is not the only orphaned macaque or rescued animal by the WFFT. The team takes care of them all, and they’re supervised 24/7. And he is not going to be alone. There’s another baby long-tailed macaque, wrote the group…
8. Phubai and Makood
‘Luckily we have another infant long-tailed macaque, Makood, who can keep this little guy company,’ wrote WFFT. Both will have to grow strong and big to get released in a special enclosure and play. Until then, they’ll just have to drink their milk!
7. A Special Home
The other young macaques have their own enclosure where they play, added WFFT: they ‘require round the clock care from our team.’ But these guys are big enough to interact and learn how to behave around others like them.
6. Learning How to Monkey Around
‘Here they are on their daily play seasons, during in which they learn to climb, play flight and love to run around chasing one another,’ wrote WFFT on their website. Phubai will have many friends. They would all be living in the same enclosure.
5. A New Life
Makood, Nolua, Miz, Kik, and Iwa were all rescued from terrible situations. Thanks to WFFT, they all now get to live happy lives, far from people that want to harm them.
4. Ready to Meet Their Kind
The last update on Phubai’s story was a few months later when he grew big and ready to interact with the other young monkeys. ‘As they were ready to meet others of their own species, they were slowly grouped together,’ wrote WFFT.
3. The Happy Troop of Macaques
‘We now have a small troop of 6 little macaques that are happily living together,’ continued the update, showing the happy monkeys hanging out together. Then, they also posted new photos of the macaque enclosure refurbished, and it looks amazing!
2. Macaques Need to Socialize
The rescue group explained that ‘grouping infant macaques together allows them to again learn how to be monkeys’ and that they need social interaction to develop in the future.
1. Months Passed…
It took months of close supervision from the vets and the staff to make sure the baby macaques grow strong and healthy. They are now old enough to be introduced with the resident macaque troops. We wish little Phubai and his friends all the happiness in the world!
Silvia
