Viral Video: Scenes At IIT Madras - How A Monkey Hitched A Ride

In a bizzare yet amusing case of unlikely animal friendship, a video showing a monkey hitching a ride on the back of a deer inside the Indian Institute of Technology Madras campus has won the hearts of social media users.

The video, which was shared by Twitter user @lonelyredcurl, shows a baby monkey comfortably straddling a chital (spotted deer) as the animal walks around to graze on plants near a building in the institute's campus. "Meanwhile, monkeys in IIT Madras," the user wrote in the tweet.

The deer can be seen bending down and eating grass as it slowly moves across the frame with the monkey firmly on its back. The primate seems mostly unbothered as he grabs onto the deer as its "ride" climbs up and down raised platforms. 

The tweet, which has garnered over 54,000 views in just 14 hours, has users reacting to the peculiar yet funny camaraderie between the two different species.

One user labelled the unusual ride "Uber for Animals"

Another user commented on the monkey's human-like ability to ride an animal.

Another twitter user credited the primate's home to its unique feat of riding a deer saying, "IIT ka bandar hai, smart hi hoga (The monkey in is the IIT Campus, it must be smart"

The IIT Madras campus was carved out of the Guindy National Park in Chennai and much of it is a protected forest. Hence, the campus is home to a large number of animals including spotted deers as well as bonnet macaque and monkeys.