In the complex social world of the troop, hierarchy is enforced with sharp teeth. For little Milo, a curious and submissive juvenile, this lesson came with terrible violence. He had inadvertently wandered too close to the feeding spot of Bruno, a large, high-ranking male. Seeing this as a direct challenge, Bruno did not issue a warning scream. He attacked.
The assault was swift and brutal. Bruno lunged, his powerful jaws clamping down on Milo’s back. The pitiful little baby monkey was biting by the big monkey, lifted off the ground, and shaken violently like a rag doll. Milo’s shrieks of terror and pain filled the clearing. Bruno’s teeth, meant for crushing tough fruit, pierced skin and muscle, leaving a deep, ragged gash. When Milo tried to scramble away, Bruno bit down on his hind leg, crushing it with a sickening crunch before tossing him aside.
Seriously injured, Milo dragged himself under a bush. He was bleeding profusely from his back, and his leg hung useless. He was in shock, trembling uncontrollably, his cries now weak, pathetic whimpers. The attack was not for food, but for dominance—a display of power that nearly cost a life. The rest of the troop watched, but none intervened; challenging Bruno was unthinkable.
For hours, the pitiful little baby monkey lay there, seriously injured and alone. The wounds began to swell and attract flies. It seemed the biting by the big monkey would be a death sentence.
His salvation came from an unexpected quarter. A wildlife monitor, observing the troop from a distance, had witnessed the attack. Once the coast was clear, she moved in. Finding Milo barely conscious, she gently placed him in a rescue carrier. At the clinic, the damage was fully revealed: deep puncture wounds, a severe laceration, and a fractured leg.
The treatment was intensive. The wounds were cleaned and stitched, the leg was set and cast, and a course of strong antibiotics and pain medication began. The pitiful little baby monkey who had been biting by a big monkey was now wrapped in clean bandages, fed nutritious formula, and given a quiet place to heal. His story is a stark reminder of the violence within nature’s societies, and the profound difference compassion can make when it crosses the species barrier to offer a second chance.
