Janet the Macaque Tries Every Trick to Nurse from Jane

A young macaque named Janet spends this footage angling for milk, wriggling under an adult female named Jane and pressing her face in close in search of a nursing spot. Jane, for her part, seems to know exactly what Janet is up to and isn’t quick to give in.

The footage was shot in a troop of macaques living among rocks and leaf litter, likely somewhere in South or Southeast Asia, where these monkeys are common. No people or buildings appear on camera — just the animals, dry grass, moss-covered stone, and dappled shade from the trees above.

What does Janet do to get milk?

In the opening moments, Janet climbs onto Jane’s body and tucks herself in close, licking and reaching with small dark hands no bigger than a house cat’s paw. Jane lies partly on her side, and Janet works her way toward her, clearly hoping for a chance to nurse.

Elsewhere in the footage, another young macaque chews on a green stem while two adults sit close together nearby, one grooming the other. It’s a quieter moment, a break in the persistence Janet shows toward Jane.

Does Jane give in?

Later, Janet is seen peeking over the top of a large rock, one arm draped across the stone, watching Jane and another adult lying just behind her. The body language reads as watchful, maybe waiting for an opening.

In the final stretch, several adult females sit together, their pink nursing skin visible, suggesting Janet isn’t the only youngster in the group with milk on the mind. Whether she gets her way is something the footage leaves the viewer to watch for themselves.

Why do young macaques keep trying to nurse?

Young macaques often continue seeking milk from their mothers well past infancy, and persistence like Janet’s is a familiar sight in troops where mothers begin weaning older offspring. It’s a small, ordinary tug-of-war that plays out constantly in monkey life.