A baby monkey which was separated from its parents has picked its new mother from a flock of goats. The little animal, from China's Jiangxi Province, latches onto the back of its new parent, a black nanny goat, wherever she goes.

Farmer Zhong Shu said the monkey sneaked into his farm six days ago and had treated the goat pen as its home.

Mr Zhong, who runs the goat farm at Huangtian Village in Tonggu County, told CCTV News that he found the monkey while tending his goats on November 12.

The farmer said: 'When I found it, the monkey was lying prone on a piece of wood. Then, when it saw me, it ran back and forth, as if it was scared of me.'

The monkey, which weighed about 3kg (6.6 pounds), then started to cling to the back of different goats 'in order to feel safe', said Mr Zhong.

When Mr Zhong fed it bananas, it would refuse to eat, still holding onto its goat mother tightly.

Mr Zhong said the monkey had formed a bond with one particular nanny goat. The pair spend all time together, from foraging during the day to sleeping at night.

After hearing the news, staff from the Tonggu County Wildlife Protection Station said they would transfer the monkey to a zoo in the nearby city of Yichun.

The monkey is set to be sent back to nature when it grows a bit older, according to the wildlife protection station.