Albuquerque, New Mexico– A fledgling bird wandered into the Siamang enclosure at the zoo in Albuquerque. A mother monkey noticed it and took it under her care. The way she tended to the bird for weeks amazed even the zookeepers.

In an Instagram post from the ABQ BioPark Zoo, keeper Megan Agena explained that she stumbled upon a small bird in the monkey enclosure a few weeks ago. At first, Agena was worried about how the primates would react, but motherly monkey Eve immediately tended to it with affection.

She had already raised a chick a few years earlier, but seeing the baby bird — likely an American robin — rekindled her maternal instincts.

Zookeepers repeatedly observed her cradling the young bird, grooming it, and even trying to nurse it. “Every time it would make a noise, she would try her best to comfort it,” Agena said.

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Shortly after the keepers noticed this unusual bond, Eve moved indoors, presumably to protect it from both her fellow monkeys and the staff.

According to Agena, the caretakers closely monitored the two so they could seize the right moment to release the young robin back into the wild.

When Eve set the bird down during her breakfast, Agena saw her chance: “When Eve stepped outside, it gave me the chance to safely retrieve the baby bird.”

The robin appeared healthy and unharmed, so they were able to return it to its mother in nature.

The animal keepers have no explanation for Eve’s behavior. Even though similar interactions between two very different species is unusual, it is assumed to be simply in Eve’s nature.