Rejected Spider Monkey Finds Hope

Little Estela, a baby spider monkey born on January 17, holds hope for approval by none other than her own stuffed animals. After being abandoned by her own mother after birth, she clings to life at Melbourne Zoo in the south-eastern part of Australia.

A spider monkey finds hope

Because of Estela being abandoned right after birth, zookeepers feared she may not have a chance to gain the motherly guidance and love that young spider monkeys need at the early stages of life. The bond between a mother spider monkey and her child is one of the most incredible bonds every witnessed.

Everyone at the zoo is very hopeful for Estela. Even though she has had her good days and her bad days, the staff makes sure they still give her all the care and attention that she needs. Estela has also discovered that sleeping on the back of a stuffed animal cat, isn’t really all that bad. She’s tightly strapped in and wrapped in a warm towel to give her a nice spot to sleep the night away.

Estela has made such an impact on everyone at the zoo that the staff has graciously been taking turns watching over her each night. They also help with feeding her at night and monitoring her condition very closely. The staff even takes turns sleeping next to little Estela at night. This not only gives her the warmth that she needs, but the nurturing care as well.

Although Estela has already had to battle many different infections since her birth, she is still going strong, surviving, and living each day surrounded by a loving staff that truly cares about her safety and well being.

With continued care and support, Estela will grow to become just like her relative spider monkeys found in both Central and South America; One of the largest species of monkeys around.