Visitors to Paignton Zoo in Devon were astonished to witness a monkey apparently trying to adopt a toad.
Published: 10:11AM BST 02 Aug 2010
Swoozie, a female swamp monkey, saved the amphibian from a pond at the edge of her enclosure.
She then spent a whole day with the common toad before it was able to wriggle free
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Crowds gathered as the seven-year-old monkey cuddled the toad and even rubbed the cold-blooded creature to try and warm it up.
The bizarre event was captured on camera by retired teacher Sheila Hassanein , 64, who was visiting the zoo.
She said: ”The monkey was trying to shield it from view, she was treating it as if it was her baby and she was trying to protect it.
”The enclosure is surrounded by water and there are lots of toads in there. She must have just picked one out.
”She was rubbing it as if she was trying to warm it up, but of course it’s a cold-blooded reptile [sic]. It was very strange.”
Mohammed Abbasi 
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