Baby Gibbon Plays With Grumpy Cat (VIDEO)

The New Odd Couple?

At first this video just looks adorable, but there's more to this story than the cute factor.

Although they are different species, these animal pals share a common bond: They're both lovable castaways that were taken in by good samaritans at Midwest Tongs, a company that specializes in snake and reptile handling equipment, Metro News reports.

APEril, the baby white-handed gibbon in diapers, was rejected by her mother shortly after birth. Chuck, the grumpy cat, was also abandoned at birth, according to Gawker.

In the video, Chuck patiently abides APEril's antics as the baby gibbon grabs the cat's ear, hogs the couch and bounds around with way more energy than her friend can muster.

Dana Savorelli of Midwest Tongs plans to upload videos of APEril as she grows.

In a phone interview with The Huffington Post, Savorelli said that profits from his company, which works with universities and zoos, helps fund his animal sanctuary in Greenwood, Mo. Called Monkey Island Rescue, the non-profit, 10-acre sanctuary is home to several species of endangered primates, including lemurs and gibbons.

Savorelli said that local laws don't require him to have a special permit for keeping the rare monkeys, noting that endangered species permits are only required to sell animals across state lines.

"But we don't do a lot of selling here," he said. "I run the sanctuary because I believe in it."

For Savorelli, maintaining the sanctuary is a labor of love, and it can be tough. Recently, he was awarded $58,000 in damages by a jury after a former volunteer stole three pigtailed macaque monkeys from his sanctuary in 2007. Two monkeys have been recovered, but a third remains missing.

Savorelli told the Kansas City Star that he hopes the decision will act as a deterrent to future thieves.

The ASPCA recommends against keeping exotic animals as pets. A disclaimer on Monkey Island's website also warns that monkeys aren't good pet choices for kids and states that they are a high maintenance animal.

Before You Go

Cheetah

Baby Animals

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot