Capuchin monkeys are stealing howler monkey babies in weird fad

image via New Scientist

May 19, 2025, 4:00 PM

On a remote Panamanian island, white-faced capuchin monkeys have begun a unique behavior of abducting baby howler monkeys. This trend, observed since 2022, involves young male capuchins taking infants from their families, an unusual behavior since mature females sometimes adopt abandoned infants. The abducted infants likely die due to lack of maternal milk, with researchers documenting the monkeys carrying dead infants. Researchers speculate the behavior may be due to the capuchins' lack of predators, spare time, or social learning.

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