Animals are smarter and more empathetic than we sometimes give them credit for. They are able to form real relationships with people, recognizing and befriending those who show them kindness.
Animals have also shown the ability to understand when someone has died — and in many cases even show grief for their departed friends.
That’s what one heartbreaking viral video shows, as a monkey attends the funeral of a man who showed her kindness and appears to be in mourning.
According to the Tamil Mirror, the deceased man was Pitambaram Rajan, a 56-year-old father of two from the Talanguda region of India.
The man was known for his compassion for animals: a monkey would visit his house every day, and he would feed it fruits and biscuits.
After Pitambaram Rajan died on October 17, family and friends gathered for his funeral — along with an unexpected mourner.
The monkey who the man always fed showed up at the funeral, and, seemingly remembering the kindness he always showed her, appears to pay her respects.
The monkey climbs on top of the casket, gently touches the deceased’s body and bows her head in grief.
Others have seen the monkey’s actions as trying to “wake up” the departed, not yet understanding that he has died.
It’s a bittersweet sight — it’s heartbreaking to see the monkey’s grief but it’s a reminder that animals truly feel and understand the love we show them.
While it can seem hard to believe, animals have demonstrated an ability to grieve for their deceased loved ones, whether they’re human or animal. We’ve even seen stories of animals visiting the graves of the departed.
We know this monkey is going to miss her human friend a lot. Rest in peace to this man who showed such kindness to animals.
It’s a story that shows how intelligent and understanding animals can be, and a reminder to always be kind to animals. Please share this beautiful story 💔
