Why You Should Never Follow a Monkey into the Forest

Twenty capuchin monkeys were raiding a cornfield at the edge of the Amazon. One short call, and every one of them was gone into the trees in under a minute. The instinct is to go after them. They live in that forest and you don't, so whatever spooked them, they must know where the safe direction is. They do. It just isn't a direction you can travel. This is the story of what actually happens to a person who follows a monkey past the treeline, and why the animals overhead are the worst guides you could possibly pick. It gets into what a capuchin alarm call really is, why one sound can mean climb, drop or attack depending on a detail you'll never catch, and the reason a troop that has been studied every day since 1984 still refuses to treat the researchers as harmless. It also gets into the one thing the monkeys will never do for you, no matter how long you stand under them. There's a reason for that, and it's the reason you stay in the field. And there is an animal out there for which following a capuchin is a brilliant survival strategy. It works beautifully. It just isn't available to you. #Amazon #Rainforest #Capuchin #WildlifeFacts #Jungle-- Disclaimer: This video may also include brief third-party clips, images, or reference material used for commentary, education, and illustration. All third-party material belongs to its respective owners. Any referenced material is used within a new context with original narration, research, editing, and meaningful visual transformation.