2 days after her C-section, Mama chimp walks in knowing her baby died. When he moves his arm, she screams.

Motherhood and maternal instincts are universal feelings, exhibited by both humans and animals of the female kind. The minute one becomes a mother, her baby instantly becomes her priority, giving her a new life and an additional identity. This profound reality about motherhood was witnessed when an anonymous individual who goes by u/cuddlywuddly0 on Reddit beautifully captured an emotional moment of a mother chimpanzee reuniting with her baby, whom she feared was dead.

The mother chimp, Mahale, assuming that her baby, Kucheza, wrapped gently in a blanket, had passed away, sat staring at him, as if waiting for his return. However, the moment she saw her baby moving, her face expanded in shock, and she wasted no time pulling the child into a tight hug while letting out a deep, aching growl. As relief washed over her, the pent-up tension of the previous days was slowly leaving her body. Mahale held the baby chimp close to her heart like any mother would do, as if confirming that her baby was actually alive. While the bittersweet moment unfolded on the screen, a woman, possibly the zoo's caretaker, struggled to control her tears as she said, "Good job, Mahale! What a good girl!"

Notably, as per a Facebook post by Sedgwick Country Zoo, this video, which went viral on the internet, was taken 2 days after Kucheza's birth. "Mahale gave birth via emergency C-section after natural labor stopped progressing. Baby wasn’t breathing well on his own, so he stayed in the hospital with the medical team until he could be reunited with his mom," the officials wrote. Unaccustomed to modern tech, and with no idea of the discussion between officials, Mahale lay in terrible agony, not knowing if she had delivered a living infant.

While Mahale's story might have made your heart cry and smile simultaneously, let's dive into a fascinating study that shares how chimpanzees behave. According to a report by Project R&R, chimpanzees are extremely nurturing as mothers. The study further revealed that just like most humans, chimpanzees are protective about their babies and suffer from anxiety or depression after losing them. Another study highlights how mother chimps become the baby's primary playmate. "We were surprised to learn from our colleagues who study other social species that while play by young animals is near universal, adults play rarely, even with their own offspring,” Emery Thompson said. This goes to show how special their bond is.

Reacting to the incredible video, u/psyonicpanda commented, "God, she was so happy when her baby moved. I’m about to cry!" Similarly, another user who goes by u/mental-paramedic9790 on Reddit said, "Oh my gosh! I so loved it at the end when you could tell that the zookeeper had tears in her eyes." Someone else, u/quick_gap2406, said, "Great video! It reminds me of the days when I would return from work and wait for my baby boy to wake up from his nap to embrace him. Always cherish every minute with your kids! They grow fast."

u/flappysnapper said, "That was a more human reaction than I would expect from an actual human. Not to say a human wouldn’t be ecstatic about their baby being alive, but that reaction was so 'real.'" On the other hand, u/womanfromwoods commented, "I remember I watched this video after losing my first baby in the third trimester. It just hit: the longing to hold and cuddle and just be with the little one. It’s a feeling I can’t even explain. Your heart is utterly broken. You only want them. So happy she got to have those cuddles." u/stomaschmoma wrote, "These beautiful creatures should not be in a block cell like this. They are so intelligent and emotional and aware of their lives and memories, and feelings. They should be given the same dignity that we give ourselves. One day, this will be known as a video example of oppression."