It can look very shocking when a mother monkey behaves roughly while her baby is sleeping. You might think, “Why is she acting so crazy? The baby is resting peacefully.” But in many cases, what seems harsh to us may have different reasons in animal behavior.
Mother monkeys sometimes shake, pull, or move their babies suddenly. This does not always mean they want to hurt them. In the wild, mothers must constantly stay alert. If there is danger nearby, they may quickly grab or reposition the baby to keep it safe. Even if the baby is sleeping, the mother’s instinct for protection is stronger than the baby’s comfort at that moment.
Sometimes, a mother may also act aggressively due to stress. If food is limited, if other monkeys are competing, or if she feels threatened, her behavior can become tense or rough. Young or inexperienced mothers may not yet know how to handle their babies gently. What looks “crazy” to us may actually be confusion, fear, or strong protective instinct.
There are also moments when mothers discipline their babies. If a baby moves too close to danger or disobeys warning signals, the mother may react quickly and firmly. In monkey society, this kind of correction is part of teaching survival skills.
However, if the behavior is extremely aggressive and repeated without reason, it can sometimes show high stress or social conflict within the group. In such cases, the baby may indeed be at risk.
Even though it is upsetting to watch, animal parenting is different from human parenting. A baby sleeping peacefully might be suddenly moved or handled roughly, not out of cruelty, but out of instinct, stress, or survival needs.