By Abdimalik Hajir - Reporter
2 April 2026 - Omar Abdi Ali, a herder from Korisa village in Ijara sub-county, Garissa County, has taken on an unexpected role as caregiver to a baby monkey after its mother was killed, offering the helpless animal a rare chance of survival through his compassion and care.
He said that while he was herding his goats in the periphery of his village, he came across a baby monkey whose mother he suspects died elsewhere.
He said he suspects that the mother monkey was killed by a mangoose or a while dog roaming around in search of food.
Omar noted that he decided to take the baby monkey home and give it the necessary support.
He estimates the baby monkey to be about three weeks old.
“It has been two weeks since I took in this baby monkey. I have been feeding it milk using syringe and even made an improvised bedding where it sleeps in the night,” he said.
According to him, the baby monkey has been improving and shown a bit of growth since he started nursing it at home.
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During the day when he goes to look after his goats he leaves it around his compound to play around unlike the first few days when the animal could hardly crawl because it was too young.
Asked whether he informed Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) about it, he said he has not done that but was touched by the little animal’s helpless situation and without having a mother.
“The baby monkey was sleeping in the scorching sun all alone and could not move. I was touched by its situation and that is when I decided to take it home and care for it,” he said.
Climate changes in the recent years have forced some primate animals including monkeys to roam outside to look for food where they end up getting killed, especially when they invade households.
In other cases, monkeys have reportedly targetted and killed young goats, leaving pastoralists in abject poverty.
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