Maternal instincts.
INDIA AN INTREPID mummy monkey has been snapped traversing rapid river stepping stones with her baby.
Pictures show the brave Gray Langur monkey leaping from step to step with a serious expression on her face. Other pictures reveal her relief when she reaches safety.
Any human parent who has attempted such a crossing will know that feeling.
Leaf-eating Gray Langurs are mostly found in southeast India and Sri Lanka.
A female langur gives birth to a single offspring, occasionally twins are born but this is rare. They have a six-month gestation period.
After birth, the offspring is attached to the mother for three months taking advantage of all the nourishment and protection offered by its mother.
The father and other males will spend time with searching for food, rivalling neighbouring alpha males, and protecting the troop.
Females spend time feeding, grooming and playing with their young.
These images were snapped by Indian wildlife photographer Jeshurun Roshan, in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, India.
“When I witnessed the monkey jumping the stones to cross the river with its baby I was stunned by the sheer maternal love at display by the adult langur towards its infant,” he told mediadrumworld.com.
“I was fascinated by how the mum carrying the baby made her choices as to where and on what rock she must place her foot, what would be the safest route, and so on.
“The maternal love and protective instincts of the mother blew my mind and was really heart-warming to see.”
ENDS