Alba cried out, her small body trembling as she struggled to stand. The once bright and clean baby was now covered in sticky brown mud, her fur clinging to her skin. She looked around helplessly, confused as to why her mother—her only source of protection—had been so harsh. Other monkeys nearby paused, watching the scene with curiosity and silence, unsure whether to intervene or stay away.
Moments later, Alba’s mother realized what she had done. She approached slowly, sniffing her baby and gently grooming some of the mud off. The moment was painful yet touching—a mix of guilt and maternal instinct. The forest returned to calm, but Alba’s little eyes still showed fear and sadness.
This emotional scene reminds us that animal families, like humans, experience moments of stress and conflict. In the wild, survival pressures often push even loving mothers to act out of instinct rather than care. Poor Alba, the “mud monkey,” serves as a symbol of both the harshness and the tenderness that coexist in nature’s heart.
