A Baby Monkey Figures Out How to Best Climb a Tall Fig Tree Without Any Help From His Watchful Mother

In an adorable clip from the Smithsonian Channel series Monkey Island, a troop of tufted gray langurs follow the alpha male to a tall fig tree bursting with fruit. The hungry monkeys climb easily up the tree for a good meal. A little infant named Pip gets purposely left behind so that he can learn to climb without the help of his mother Nisha. The petite langur tries and tries again until he sees the perfect opportunity awaiting him.

Nisha watches on, enjoying some time out from motherhood. But Pip’s determined to join her. When an unusual solution presents itself, he grabs on with both hands.