We all love a little monkey business

Mussa's the one on the right.

Even the most hard-bitten and cynical amongst us will have had their grumpy hearts melted a little this week by a baby chimp called Mussa. (Yes, even me.)

A video, released by Lwiro Primates, a chimp and monkey sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of Congo, shows the cute little guy being rescued and flown to safety by an anti-poaching pilot.

If this wasn’t already lovely enough, the footage shows the tiny chimp exploring the cockpit of the tiny two-seater aircraft, before hopping on the lap of the pilot and curiously watching as they lift off, with a level of calm I’m sure most of us would struggle to achieve, even after a 7am beer at the airport.

So relaxed does our chimp chum become, he even manages to enjoy a spot of grooming from his new friend and have a play with the controls, before getting 40 winks in like a seasoned traveller.

He is, of course, now an internet sensation (along with his rescuer) and is spending a while in quarantine with some other babies who have also been orphaned by poachers. The prime-time primate isn’t only increasing the worldwide “Aww!” factor substantially, but helping to raise awareness about conservation, and the problems caused by poachers.

As pilot, Anthony Caere, points out, “This looks cute but is actually a sad story. He should be with his mum... But happy we could give him a new good home!”

Here’s to a happy future for the Simian superstar.

This post first appeared as the second piece in my column/page in The Mail and the News & Star, on the 9th of March 2018.

All together now - NAWWWWWWW!!!! Just in case you've been under a rock, here's the video...

(CD A-Z: Stevie Wonder's "The Definitive Collection")

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