This is the devastating moment when a baby monkey desperately clung to the lifeless body of its mother as it hung in the jaws of a leopard.

The little green monkey in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park refused to let go of its mother after a predator attacked it, despite putting itself in grave danger.

The heartbreaking moment was captured by wildlife photographer Shafeeq Mulla from Chipata, Zambia, who commented: “Nature is not always beautiful, and this photograph demonstrates the harsh reality of existence.”

In order to have a sustainable environment, animals must perish so that others can live.

This is the horrific moment when a baby before a monkey clung to its dead mother, whose lifeless bodies were suspended from the leopard’s mouth. The young vervet monkey refused to part with its parents when a researcher approached South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. Despite the danger he was in by clinging to his mother, the young monkey refused to let go and was eventually killed by the other leopards in the group.