Humans Love Having Pets. Seems Like Some Other Primates Do, Too.

Humans love to have animals like dogs and cats. These animals are called pets. People often take very good care of their pets. They give them food, play with them, and keep them safe. But are humans the only ones who like pets and care for other animals?

A new study says that humans are not alone! It seems some other primates also like to care for other kinds of animals. Primates are animals like monkeys and apes. Scientists look at many examples from different primates. They see that sometimes monkeys carry and protect small animals, like baby squirrels or small birds. They do not eat these small animals. Instead, they treat them almost like their own babies or friends. This is very interesting behavior.

This study tells us something important. It suggests that the feeling of loving and caring for other animals may be a very old thing. It is not just a human thing that started recently. This kind of friendly feeling for other species starts deep in our past, with our primate family, a long, long time ago.