The behavior you describe, where a mother monkey seemingly pushes her child to the ground with fatal consequences, is unusual and not typical of primate behavior. In most species of monkeys and other primates, mothers are highly protective of their offspring, often going to great lengths to care for and defend them. Maternal care is essential for the survival of primate young, as they are usually born quite vulnerable and dependent on their mothers for food, warmth, and protection.
However, in rare cases, certain behaviors can occur due to various reasons:
1. **Stress or Environmental Pressure**: In highly stressful situations, such as overcrowding, lack of food, or human disturbance, some primates may display abnormal behaviors, including aggression or neglect toward their offspring.
2. **Inexperience or Immaturity**: Young or inexperienced mothers may not yet have developed proper maternal instincts or behaviors. In these cases, they might accidentally harm their offspring.
3. **Health Issues**: If an infant is sick, injured, or otherwise unhealthy, some primates may abandon or reject their young as a way of conserving resources for future offspring. While it may seem harsh, in evolutionary terms, this might be a strategy to focus on the survival of healthier infants.
4. **Social Hierarchies and Aggression**: In some social primate species, particularly where dominance hierarchies are strong, lower-ranking females may experience stress or aggression from higher-ranking individuals, which could potentially influence how they care for their young.
While such incidents can happen in isolated cases, they are far from the norm in primate societies. Monkeys, like most mammals, are deeply bonded to their offspring and invest a great deal of care into raising them.