Indian politician Shashi Tharoor shares heartwarming encounter with a monkey

Dubai: India’s Member of Parliament and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor recently shared a remarkable and heartwarming experience involving a monkey, which has since gone viral. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the Thiruvananthapuram MP recounted how his peaceful morning in the garden turned into an unforgettable encounter.

Tharoor described the incident in a series of posts and photos, showcasing the monkey sitting on his lap, eating bananas, and even giving him an affectionate hug.

“Had an extraordinary experience today. While I was sitting in the garden, reading my morning newspapers, a monkey wandered in, headed straight for me, and parked himself on my lap. He hungrily ate a couple of bananas we offered him, hugged me, and proceeded to rest his head on my chest and dozed off. I gently began to get up; he leapt off and loped away,” Tharoor wrote on X, sharing photos of the memorable interaction.

In a follow-up post, Tharoor reflected on the peaceful nature of the encounter, emphasising the ingrained reverence for wildlife in Indian culture. He admitted to an initial concern about the risk of a monkey bite, which could have necessitated rabies shots, but chose to remain calm.

“Reverence for wildlife is ingrained in us, so though I was a bit concerned about the risk of a monkey bite, I stayed calm and welcomed his presence as non-threatening. I am gratified that my faith was borne out, and our encounter was entirely peaceful and gentle,” Tharoor added.

The post quickly gained traction online, with many appreciating Tharoor’s calm demeanour and his thoughtful reflections on human-wildlife interactions.