Monkey pausing mid-bite with tongue out

A monkey crouches on the slant of a roof. One hand clutches food, the other balances. The tongue slips out, sudden pink against the shadow of its face. It is a quick gesture but it holds the whole picture. The eyes remain locked on the food, steady and intent, while the rest of the body stays firm.

The fur is rough, grey with brown shading along the head, coarse enough to show texture even from a distance. Sunlight finds the strands, a few brighter than the rest. Its ears turn back slightly, a posture that mixes calm and alert.

The background is no more than colour—green, soft shapes of trees, hints of road and a passing car. Together they place the monkey on the line between wild and human. The photograph catches no grand drama, only a pause: an animal with food, tongue out, caught between mischief and survival.