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title: This Eco-Conscious Monkey Knows How To Help Save The Planet
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# Eco-Conscious Monkey Does Not Monkey Around With Finite Resources

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by 

[Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/)


## Melissa Locker


Aug 7, 2019 3:56 PM UTC

by 

[Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/)


## Melissa Locker


Aug 7, 2019 3:56 PM UTC

A clever monkey has mastered one of the easiest ways to help conserve some of the planet’s finite resources and its message is going viral after being captured on TikTok.

In the video, a monkey is seen drinking water from a tap, which is already a very smart move, but when its done [rehydrating](https://time.com/4873725/dehydration-drink-water/), it does something that can help save gallons of water—it switches off the tap. That simple act is earning the monkey high praise online and while the Nobel Prize committee acts in secret, hopefully someone has sent them the video.

Per to [India Today](https://www.indiatoday.in/trending-news/story/monkey-closes-tap-after-drinking-water-in-tiktok-viral-video-internet-is-all-heart-1576537-2019-08-02), the video was shared on Twitter by India’s former Chief Election Commissioner, Dr. S.Y. Quraishi who captioned the video, “What a beautiful message for humans.” The video and the little monkey’s [eco-conscious](https://time.com/5627355/climate-change-heat-waves/) act went viral from there as people realized that they and other humans could learn a lot from the little critter.

> [](https://twitter.com/DrSYQuraishi/status/1156990787445383168)

Another tweet of the [video posted earlier ](https://twitter.com/HKA%5F2017/status/1156125344614588416?s=20)says: “And that’s how you conserve water! Close the tap after use and make sure it does not drip! #WaterConservation.”

“Monkeys are more sensible and responsible than human,” wrote [one Twitter user](https://twitter.com/babuchandra01/status/1157188553157332992). “Monkeys showing us the way!” [wrote](https://twitter.com/Sajeda%5FAkhtar/status/1156491213442183168) another. “Beautiful to watch!” [says a third.](https://twitter.com/QuanChi92089213/status/1157004196584886272)


> [](https://twitter.com/RitwikSharan/status/1157114513499533312)

> [](https://twitter.com/Integrity%5FGuy/status/1157303270534070272)

The monkey’s message of conservation, even if it was accidental, is an important one. [As TIME reported last year](https://time.com/5302661/water-crisis-drinking-india-drought-dry/), India is in “a sustained [water crisis](https://time.com/4951207/how-china-could-weaponize-water/)” due to a combination of [climate change](https://time.com/5575523/climate-change-inequality/), high demand, and “mismanaged water resources.” The country is not alone as a [global water crisis](http://content.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1724375,00.html) grows and access to clean drinking water is still unreachable for some, perhaps this little monkey can be a role model for humans.

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