"The abandoned monkey who has found love with a pigeon"

In September 2007 the Daily Mail reported: "A monkey and a pigeon have become inseparable at an animal sanctuary in China."

Simply put, this is the photo that inspired me to keep this blog.

Abandoned by his mother, this 3-month-old baby macaque was found on the verge of death when it was rescued on a small island in Guangdong Province. He regained his health in an animal hospital, but remained sad — until a friendship with a white pigeon lifted his spirits and gave him a new lease on life.

Now this orphaned macaque is never far from the pigeon’s side: