AN orphaned monkey whose mother was killed by a pack of feral dogs has been given a stuffed toy to act as its new parent — and he absolutely loves it.

The 1-week-old male dusky langur was left to fend for himself after being injured in the attack until he was picked up by animal rescuers.

Staff at the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) were alerted to the infant monkey’s plight by rescuers and traveled to Chumphon Province.

He is now on the mend after workers gave him a teddy bear mom.

A WFFT spokesman said: “The WFFT Rescue Team headed out for the long drive south to help this poor infant. Upon arrival they were shocked to find a very small langur who had sustained numerous bite wounds during the attack.

“We estimate that he is around a week old, as his umbilical cord is still attached.

“After giving him a quick feed of a special milk formula, he was rushed back to the WFFT Wildlife Hospital.”

The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species lists the dusky langur as “Near Threatened.”

Hunting for food and the pet trade are major threats, as is habitat loss and degradation, due to expansion of agricultural practices and urbanization throughout its range.

Considering the extensive habitat loss that has taken place within the range of the species, there is reason to believe that this species is in decline.

The WFFT spokesman continued: “This species plays a major role in the ecology of the forest, providing ecosystem services in their forest habitats.

“They act as seed dispersers of the plants and fruits they eat, enhancing forest regeneration and connectivity.

“They also have an impact on the food chain as they serve as prey for various other species of animals such as leopards.

“Attacks on wild animals by feral dogs and cats are very common here in Thailand, they often kill or injure native wild animals, this can have long-term detrimental effects on Thailand’s wild animals.

“The feral dog population alone is estimated at just below 1 million.” (SD-Agencies)