Injured Baby Macaques Cling to Mom in the Forest

Two baby macaques appear with fresh wounds on their small bodies, yet both stay pressed against their mothers, nursing and clinging on as the troop moves through the forest. The footage does not explain how the injuries happened, but it shows, close up, what the aftermath looks like for a macaque family.

What do the injuries look like?

One infant has raw, reddened patches on its foot and lower leg, the skin scraped and the toes stained with blood. Its mother sits on a thick tree branch, holding it steady while the little one grips her fur with one hand and reaches for a small green sprig with the other. The baby’s face is smudged with dirt, but its eyes stay wide open and alert, watching the camera.

A second infant, seen later, has a pink, tender-looking mark near its side as it presses into its mother’s belly to nurse. Its dark head fur and large brown eyes give it an unmistakably young look, likely just weeks old. Despite the visible soreness, it settles in close, one hand curled against its mother for balance.

How does the mother react?

Throughout the footage, the mothers stay calm and attentive. One grooms around her own mouth while keeping her baby tucked against her chest in a shaded patch of green forest. Another is seen holding a piece of orange fruit, eating with the baby still riding low on her body, barely pausing her own feeding to keep the infant secure.

Nothing in the footage points to a specific cause for the wounds — no fight, fall, or other animal is shown. What comes through instead is the ordinary rhythm of macaque family life continuing regardless: nursing, grooming, and holding on, even when one of them is hurt.