Every once in a while I see something that stirs this old heart of mine, and this counts as one of those. Estela, a little orphan spider monkey in Australia has found comfort in a stuffed animal after her real mom abandoned her. She’s from a the Melbourne Zoo and was born on 17 January.

Due to the shock of her mother abandoning her, she has not had the opportunity to develop normally and due to the trauma (this leads to infections, etc.) she went through they aren’t sure if she’ll actually survive. Jess McKelson, a primate supervisor at the zoo, said that the past few weeks have been very anxious for everyone in her department. ‘We’re taking turns to stay overnight with Estela to monitor her condition and provide the overnight feeds,’ she said.

Her keepers found that the stuffed monkey seen in the pic above, along with some other cuddly toys,  would be able to provide “some vital love and support for the two-month-old baby.” Estela even sleeps strapped to the back of a toy cat – thanks to a tightly wrapped towel.

[Source: Mail Online]