THIS is the heart-breaking moment a grief-stricken monkey gave his human pal a final kiss at his funeral.
Peetambaram Rajan, 56, had reportedly died last Monday after contracting a sudden illness at his forest-side home in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.
But throughout his life he been known for feeding a wild grey langur every day with fruit and biscuits as the two formed a particularly close bond.
And this week, his furry friend got the chance to say his final goodbye as mourners brought the animal to the service.
In the clip, which has since gone viral, the langur perches on the edge of Rajan’s open coffin before gently cupping his chin.
The monkey then learns over before planting a kiss on the deceased’s head.
Eventually, mourners were forced to gently carry the distressed monkey away from the scene after he attempted to grabs his pal’s hand, as if trying to lead him away.
The video was later posted online and touched thousands of animal lovers across the world.
One user wrote: “That man has earned the love, if there is a heaven for people, he is surely going there.”
Another penned: “Respect. Very touching.”
While a third added: “Wow. Brought tears here. And people say animals are not able to feel as we do.”
It comes just days after heart-breaking footage captured the moment a chimp said goodbye to a zookeeper for the last time.
Video showed the zoo head talking tenderly to the primate as he explained that the state was set to takeover of the zoo.
He later told local outlets that saying goodbye to the chimp was like losing a family member.
“From the day we met, we had good chemistry, and I gradually gained his affection and friendship,” he said.
“With great pain in my heart, with tears in my eyes, I only hope that just as we took care of him for 25 years, giving him a lot of affection, a lot of love, pampering him like a son.”
Chimpanzees are highly intelligent creatures and, like many other species of monkeys, can build remarkable bonds with human beings in their lives.
In one video, shared earlier this year, a dying chimp met her human best friend for the last time.
Mama, who had lived to the ripe old age of 59, was filmed greeting Jan van Hooff, embracing him as he visited her at her enclosure at a zoo in Arnhem in the Netherlands.
Tragically the chimp died just a week after the farewell visit.
Source: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/20234040/moment-monkey-final-goodbye-human-pal-funeral/
