A baby chimp has gone viral cuddling its carer after being rescued from trafficking in the illegal pet trade.
Across Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa, the illegal pet trade and trafficking of animals is rife, with its economy worth an estimated £135million per year, according to International Fund for Animal Welfare.
Adult chimpanzees, in particular, are often hunted for bushmeat, with mothers carrying their babies most popular due to their vulnerability.
For Kalio, a two-year-old baby chimp, this situation is one they know all too well after the mammal was captured by traffickers and planned for sale in the international illegal pet trade.
Luckily, the chimp escaped its ultimate demise and was brought to Lwiro Primates, a charity which cares for orphaned animals in the Democratic Republic of Congo, by the wildlife authorities.
In a clip posted on Instagram, which has racked up 9.2 million views and over 980,000 likes, the adorable baby can be seen giving a cuddle to its new carer.
The video has left social media users in awe of the tiny creature.
"They found [Kalio] being held captured by traffickers, where they confiscated him and brought him to us for rehabilitation," Itsaso Vélez del Burgo Guinea, the charity's technical director, said.
"When they are stolen from their families to be sold, they are treated with cruelty and endure tremendous suffering, so when they arrive, they are frequently traumatised, sick and disabled.
"He was shaking at first, but slowly, he regained trust and even started playing and laughing, which is not usual for newcomers.
"Without knowing me, he jumped on my arm and hoped I would take care of him.
"He really needed to feel safety and protection.
"Baby chimps are like humans, they need their mum's protection, especially as they are not weaned until around five-years-old and remain close to their mums for the first decade of their lives."
In the clip, Itsaso can be seen undoing a wire tie, which is holding two doors of a wooden box together, before letting out the baby chimp.
As she bends down with open arms, little Kalio reaches out and jumps up into a cuddle, as he is gently stroked.
Users flocked to the comments to share their reactions, with many in awe of the adorable mammal.
One person commented: “My heart just broke into a thousand pieces watching his little face as he buried it into her chest, live well little one.”
Someone else said: “Oh my heart. Poor little guy just wanted to be hugged by a kind person.”
Max added: “He just threw himself in your arms!!”
“His little eyes tell me he’s seen too much, poor, little babe,” said Carley.
“The way he jumped into your arms, poor baby has seen so much losing his mommy,” added Tamarra.
Julia also said: “ Such great work that you do.”
Under international agreements, CITES, and domestic laws in these countries, great apes and chimpanzees are awarded top protection and it is deemed illegal for them to be captured, killed or traded commercially.
Despite this, many are captured every year due to the high profits involved and trafficking, as well as illegal hunting and habitat destruction have resulted in the population of the mammal declining from millions to between 172,000 and 300,000 in the world today.
Itsaso added: "Kalio weighs a bit less than he should for his age, but it is due to malnutrition from his time in captivity.
"He will start recovering slowly and when he achieves adulthood, he could weigh up to 60 kilograms.
"We now have 120 chimpanzees and they are highly social, emotional, and intelligent beings.
"Kalio has a surrogate mum 24/7 and he is also receiving vet care as he arrived with parasites and a blood infection, but he's recovering slowly, but surely."
