'Never slaughter a chicken in front of a monkey'

A Chinese man who saved a one-armed, one-legged monkey says the primate has paid him back - by killing all of his chickens. Li Chun, from Menghai village, Yunnan province, says the monkey has become a member of his family since he nursed it back to health. It has become to devoted to the family and performs many chores around the home - but it also copies everything Li does.

When it saw him crack some eggs to make a meal it went into the hen coop and smashed all of the eggs it could find. And when Li slaughtered a chicken, the monkey copied him and has since killed about 80 chickens. "From then on, whenever it's not occupied, it jumps into the chicken pen, and kills the chickens, no matter how big or small, and tries to pluck them," said Li.



"His record is nine chickens in one day. The lesson I have learned is to never slaughter a chicken in front of a monkey." Li found the seriously injured monkey in a forest more than a year ago when it jumped into a basket on his back. He found the monkey's right arm and left leg were rotten and took it home where he cut off the decayed limbs and gave it anti-inflammatory medication.

He nursed the monkey back to health and it made an astonishing recovery, putting on weight and soon started to help around the home. It helps look after Li's dog's puppies and even wiped away Li's tears when he was grieving the death of his father. Li said: "It sat besides me quietly and extended his only arm to wipe the tears on my face. He would softly pat my face and head, and look at me with great sympathy."