Monkeys keep pets too - animal specialist on the world of interspecies friendship
A new study analyzing 427 documented cases reveals that primates frequently engage in interspecies friendships, such as keeping pets or interacting with other animals. Researchers suggest this behavior is more widespread than previously thought and may offer insights into the evolution of social bonds.
Why it matters
Understanding interspecies social behavior in primates provides valuable data for evolutionary biology and animal psychology.
Tufted gray langur (Semnopithecus priam) stroking a Grizzled giant squirrel (Ratufa macroura) caringly at Yala National Park - Sri Lanka. Senthi Aathavan Senthilverl/Wikimedia Commons , CC BY-NC Monkeys keep pets too – animal specialist on the world of interspecies friendship Published: August 5, 2026 8:53am EDT https://theconversation.com/monkeys-keep-pets-too-animal-specialist-on-the-world-of-interspecies-friendship-288987 https://theconversation.com/monkeys-keep-pets-too-animal-specialist-on-the-world-of-interspecies-friendship-288987 Link copied Share article Share article
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The first time I saw it, I wasn’t quite sure what I was looking at. A northern white-cheeked gibbon at Shanghai Zoo was holding and caressing a mouse that had wandered into its enclosure. It wasn’t trying to eat it or chase it away. Instead, the gibbon treated the tiny rodent with remarkable gentleness. I couldn’t stop wondering why.
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