Young, male capuchin monkeys have started kidnapping the babies of nearby howler monkeys. Why? Maybe boredom.

Researchers have discovered a weird, new behavior among capuchin monkeys, and it involves kidnapping howler monkey infants.

Scientists studying camera trap footage from Jicarón Island spotted something unusual: a capuchin monkey carrying an infant howler monkey on his back. Now, they’re trying to learn what it means.

“The capuchin monkeys have dark fur and light face, and this [baby] had lighter fur and a dark face.” The only other primates on the island are howler monkeys, and this infant’s coloration ...

While it's not that unusual for male Capuchin monkeys to interact with baby monkeys from their own species, it's very strange that they would interact with, let alone kidnap, young howler monkeys.