It’s indeed a significant moment for mother monkeys when they give birth. They show a lot of care and attention to their newborns. Are you looking for information on how mother monkeys care for their babies, or are you interested in breastfeeding behaviors in other animals as well?

Mother monkeys show a great deal of care for their babies. They nurse them, providing essential nutrients and antibodies which are crucial for the infant’s growth and development. Nursing also strengthens the bond between mother and baby. Beyond nursing, mother monkeys engage in tender interactions with their newborns, such as ‘kissing’ and having sustained mutual gaze, which are similar to human behaviors. These interactions help prepare the infants to navigate the social world. Early on, mothers introduce solid foods to the baby’s diet and continue to protect and teach them as they grow¹²³⁴.

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Mother monkeys also care for their babies by providing safe transportation. For example, spider monkeys use their long, dexterous tails like an extra limb to wrap around their babies, while macaques carry their young on their backs. Grooming is another important aspect of care, which helps keep the babies clean and also serves as a bonding activity. Additionally, mother monkeys teach their young essential skills for survival and help them integrate into the social structure of the troop¹²³.

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Monkeys teach their young survival skills primarily through observation and imitation. Young monkeys watch their mothers and other adults to learn how to navigate their environment, find food, and interact with other members of their group. This learning process is reinforced by the payoff of acquiring useful new skills, such as opening fruit or avoiding predators. As they grow older, monkeys combine social learning with individual experience to refine these skills¹²³.

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