M'sians Rescue Puppy From Monkey Carrying It On Utility Wire

Puppy gets rescued from monkey

Monkeys roaming around residential and commercial areas often leave us taken aback by their human-like ways – such as when this monkey stole an iPhone and took selfies. In a recent, more harrowing, incident, a monkey in a Seri Kembangan neighbourhood was seen carrying a puppy while climbing utility lines.

Photos of the incident went viral online, with many concerned about the helpless puppy’s welfare. After several days of its supposed “abduction” at the hands of the monkey, several Malaysians who rescued it found the puppy unharmed, but weak due to lack of food.

Monkey carrying puppy alerts residents

Several residents in Seri Kembangan initially took to a Facebook group to share photos of the monkey and puppy, hoping that fellow residents could be made aware of the distressing situation.

On 15th September 2021, a netizen shared a photo of the unlikely pairing perched precariously on utility lines, while asking if any residents in the Facebook group were losing their cats to monkeys as he saw a dog being “sapu“, or taken away, by a monkey.

In the photo, a black-and-white puppy is seen helplessly still as a monkey carries it in one arm.

Image credit: Facebook

Three days later, on 17th September, another netizen shared photos of the same monkey and puppy on the utility wire again, while asking if there was anyone willing to rescue the puppy. Another shot of the two animals in the same Facebook post shows them resting on what looks to be another dangerously high point in the neighbourhood.

Image credit: Facebook

The two posts racked up over 300 shares and 500 shares respectively, with many showing concern for the puppy. Many wondered if the monkey was causing danger to the puppy and intended to harm it, or if it was nurturing the puppy.

Puppy unharmed after rescue mission

According to a report by Oriental Daily on 18th September, the puppy was rescued by four Malaysians after three days of being “captured” by the monkey. The puppy has since been sent to the animal clinic where it was found without injuries, but with slight swelling to its head. It was also weak as it had not been fed for several days.

Monkey carrying puppy goes viral
Video credit: Cherry Lew Yee Lee

One of the rescuers, Francis Poh, told Oriental Daily that he first thought that the photos of animals on the utility wire were fake, until they were verified by friends and netizens.

According to tip-offs he received from residents in the neighbourhood where the incident took place, the puppy was seen with the monkey for three days, and could be heard whining in the monkey’s arms. Many there had tried to rescue the puppy, including luring the monkey away with fruits, but to no avail.

Fellow rescuer Cherry Lew Yee Lee said that she met with a Malay woman, who had a loaf of bread with her to attract the monkey, on the day that the puppy was rescued.

Image credit: Francis Yirdaki CT

After a one-hour rescue mission – including observing the monkey for 45 minutes in hopes that it would come down from a tree on its own with the puppy – the puppy was finally freed after the rescuers threw firecrackers at bushes under the tree.

Despite many individuals’ initial worries that the monkey was harming the puppy, the monkey appeared to be having the puppy around as if it was its own child or companion as it was roaming alone and the latter was found unharmed. Nonetheless, the rescuers made the choice to free the puppy from the monkey in concerns of the puppy’s health as it was weak and not fed regularly.

After the rescue mission, Poh also shared with Oriental Daily that he hoped no one would resort to violence as part of any rescue mission, and that Malaysians should share concern about the welfare of monkeys that are losing their homes due to urban developments.

Puppy gets rescued from monkey after three days

It’s never easy to see animals in precarious situations, and it’s even trickier to try to rescue one from another species of animals, so we’re glad that these residents alerted others of a puppy being whisked away by a monkey in their neighbourhood even though they couldn’t help the puppy. We also applaud these helpful rescuers for taking time out to rescue the puppy and ensuring that it was all right by taking it to the clinic after.