Baby Monkey Sitting Backwards on a Pig

Thanks to my friend Jennifer Worick, I recently saw the video Baby Monkey (Going Backwards) on a Pig. Now, I have my own version.



Baby Monkey grooming a pig


Yesterday I visited Galta, aka The Monkey Temple, a 30-plus minute tuk-tuk ride from Jaipur. Surrounded by rocky canyon walls, the grounds encompass grassy lawns, beautifully painted havelis, a three tier pool used for bathing by both monkeys and humans, and temples dedicated to Hanuman, the monkey god.

Tuesday is Hanuman day so the resident monkeys, both red faced (Rhesus Macaque) and black face (Hanuman Langur) are well fed. Worshippers of Hanuman, the god of strength and valor, offer fruits, chapatis (Indian bread) and peanuts to the primates.

I walked to the top of the canyon, past the pools and satiated monkeys to find an area where lots of baby monkeys were at play among a few big pigs. The monkeys swung, scrambled, screeched, fought, and played with plastic water bottles. I fed them a few peanuts.

One baby monkey became very interested in a reclining pig—that at first I thought was dead. "He is resting," said the self-professed "monkey whisperer" standing there. Then I noticed the white bristles of his coat moving up and down with his breath. 

The baby monkey proceeded to climb all over the pig, look in his ears, search for treats (fleas?) on the top of his head, sit backwards on back and play with his tail. The only thing he didn't do was ride him.