In an unlikely interspecies friendship, a pregnant dog seems to have “adopted” an orphaned baby monkey in northern India.

Locals in the state of Himachal Pradesh poisoned the newborn’s parents for allegedly destroying their crops, leaving the poor 10-day-old monkey to fend for himself. Luckily, the mother-to-be’s maternal instinct took over, and the dog eagerly became the creature’s new caretaker.

Photographer Prakash Badal was in the area to photograph birds when he noticed the duo, who are featured in this viral video.

“Although sometimes there are conflicts between monkeys and dogs,” Badal told Daily Mail, “the relationship of a mother is more important. This type of relationship is a lesson for humans who have become selfish and kill each other just because [they are] from another cast or religion.”

Animals, like this baby monkey and his new guardian, can teach us about kindness and compassion.