Mother chimp nursing her newborn spots a human baby and comes right up to the glass

A mother chimpanzee nursing her baby is melting hearts online after pausing to check on a human baby on the other side of the glass.

A popular TikTok captured the brief but striking moment, and viewers say it feels instantly familiar: two new moms, each curious about the other's little one.

The clip shows the chimp mother in her enclosure noticing a stroller nearby and walking over while still holding and nursing her baby, reported PetHelpful.

@mrsamyangell Pulled up with my pram to see the chimpanzee and her baby feeding and she got up to come over and see my baby. She sat trying to peer in until I turned the pram around and showed her my baby inside 🥺 #chimpanzee #zoo #babyanimals #mum #mom ♬ What Was I Made For? (Epilogue) [Instrumental Version] - Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt

The post's caption says the person filming had stopped to watch the chimp and her infant when the mother chimp became interested in the baby inside the pram.

"Pulled up with my pram to see the chimpanzee and her baby feeding, and she got up to come over and see my baby," the caption explained.

It continued, "She sat trying to peer in until I turned the pram around and showed her my baby inside."

In the video, the chimp appears focused and gentle, leaning in for a better look while keeping her own baby close.

The clip also highlights similarities between humans and other great apes.

The chimp mother's curiosity, attentiveness, and protectiveness feel deeply recognizable to human parents.

Baby chimpanzees are highly dependent on their mothers.

Newborn chimps are small and helpless at first, and mothers keep them close at all times. As they grow, the babies begin clinging more securely and later ride on their mothers' backs, but the period of dependence remains long.

The Center for Great Apes says young chimps typically nurse for around five years and then remain with their mothers for several more years while learning to help care for younger siblings.

It offers a glimpse into the intense work of chimp motherhood and the emotional intelligence of animals that are among our closest relatives.

Commenters focused on the cross-species solidarity between moms.

One viewer wrote, "She looks at you with such understanding and admiration."

Another joked that the chimp seemed to be eyeing the stroller and thinking, "Ooooo this is niiiiiiice, gurllll."

A third commenter wrote, "She's like, 'You have one tooooo. How's yours sleeping because mine isn't.'"

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.