What motivates a couple to raise a monkey?
These animals are spoilt rotten: they have their own bedrooms; the latest toys and games; a seat at the dinner table, and in the car; wardrobes full of designer clothes; and even make-up. And in the park their 'primate parents' push their monkeys in prams to play on the swings and slides.
To Lori and Jim Johnson, Jessica Marie is far more than a Capuchin monkey. 'If I hear anyone call her a monkey I throw a fit,' says 'dad' Jim, 'She's my daughter, 100%'. For Lori, having a 'monkid' seemed the perfect answer to her needs: 'I knew exactly what I was going to do, she was going to be a baby I was going to have forever.'
To have a child that never grows up sounds like a nightmare to many, but to these parents it can seem like a dream come true. What makes a couple take on a 40-year commitment to an eternal toddler? How strong is the mother/monkey attachment? And can a monkey really become a child substitute?
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Ready to Watch My Monkey Baby, Season 1, Episode 1?