Deep in the jungle, where the trees swayed gently with the wind and the sun cast dappled light through the dense canopy, a heart-wrenching sound filled the air. It was the cry of a baby monkey, her tiny voice echoing through the trees, desperate and unrelenting. Baby Lola clung to a low-hanging branch, her fragile body trembling as she called for her mother. But her mother, Leyla, was nowhere in sight.
Lola’s cries grew louder, more pitiful, yet no comforting arms came to scoop her up. No warm body arrived to shield her from the chill of the evening breeze. She was alone, abandoned in a world too big and too dangerous for such a small creature.
Leyla, a young mother, had once been attentive and nurturing, always keeping Lola close. She would groom her, carry her through the jungle, and feed her with patience. But something had changed. In recent days, she had begun to distance herself, ignoring Lola’s cries and even walking away when the baby reached for her.
The other monkeys in the troop heard Lola’s wails, but they did not intervene. Some mothers briefly glanced in her direction before returning to their grooming or foraging. A few juveniles played nearby, swinging through the branches, but none paid her any mind. In the animal kingdom, a mother’s care is irreplaceable. If she chooses to leave her baby, the others rarely step in.
But why had Leyla abandoned her?
There were many possible reasons. Sometimes, mother monkeys reject their babies if they sense something is wrong—perhaps Lola was sick or too weak to survive. Other times, young and inexperienced mothers fail to develop a strong bond with their offspring, overwhelmed by the responsibility. And in some cases, the pressures of survival force a mother to make an impossible choice, leaving behind the weakest to ensure her own survival.
Lola, too young to understand, only knew that she was alone. She tried crawling toward the rest of the troop, but every step was a struggle. Her small limbs wobbled, her stomach ached from hunger, and her cries became hoarse. She reached out to a passing monkey—a teenage female—but was ignored. She looked up, her big eyes filled with tears, searching for the mother she loved.
Then, movement in the distance. Lola perked up, her tiny heart pounding with hope. A familiar scent drifted toward her, and she saw her mother, Leyla, sitting on a higher branch. With all the strength she had left, she called out again, pleading for her mother to come back.
But Leyla did not move. She simply sat there, watching.
Lola’s cries softened, turning into weak whimpers. She crawled a little closer, but Leyla remained still. The baby monkey’s energy was fading. Hunger and exhaustion were taking over. She looked up one last time, her tiny fingers gripping the rough bark of the tree.
And then, something changed.
Leyla, after what felt like an eternity, finally made a move. Slowly, cautiously, she climbed down. Lola’s eyes widened with hope. The mother approached her baby, sniffing her gently, as if testing something. And then, to Lola’s relief, Leyla scooped her up and held her close.
The warmth of her mother’s body, the comfort of being held again, brought an instant calm over the baby. Her cries faded into soft sniffles as she nuzzled into her mother’s fur. She did not understand why Leyla had left her, but for now, she was safe again.
Perhaps it was a test—some mothers briefly ignore their babies to encourage independence. Perhaps it was hesitation, a moment of uncertainty. Or maybe, just maybe, a mother’s love had won over doubt.
Whatever the reason, Baby Lola was not alone anymore.
