The caretakers at the sanctuary, who loved spending time with the monkeys, sometimes played harmless tricks to keep the environment fun and mentally stimulating. That day, one of them brought out a plastic dinosaur head — big, green, and with wide, scary teeth. It was part of a forgotten costume from a storage room, and it looked surprisingly real from a distance.
The target of the prank? A curious, energetic monkey named Koko.
Koko was known for being playful, bold, and always nosing around things he wasn’t supposed to. If any monkey would fall for a trick, it was him. The prank was simple: hide behind a bush, wear the dinosaur head, and pop out when Koko came close.
The moment arrived. Koko, as expected, came wandering near the bush, sniffing around for leftover banana peels or something interesting to chew on. The caretaker crouched silently, waiting for the perfect moment.
Suddenly — ROAR! The fake dinosaur head popped out.
Koko froze.
For half a second, he stared in disbelief. Then came the scream — a high-pitched squeal of pure monkey terror! Koko jumped three feet in the air, spun around, and bolted across the yard in record time. He climbed a nearby tree so fast it looked like he had wings. From the highest branch, he peeked down, his eyes wide, his fur puffed up, and his heart probably racing.
The other monkeys, startled by his reaction, started looking around in confusion. A few came closer to the “dinosaur” head. One younger monkey bravely poked it with a stick. After a few minutes, the truth came out — it wasn’t real.
From his treetop lookout, Koko saw the caretaker pull off the fake head and laugh. Koko’s wide eyes narrowed. He realized he’d been tricked.
Slowly, he made his way down, keeping a serious face the entire time. The other monkeys greeted him with playful hoots, as if they were laughing too. Koko didn’t make a sound. He walked calmly up to the caretaker, reached into the snack bucket, grabbed the biggest banana… and walked away with his dignity.
It was a prank he would never forget. And though he didn’t show it, everyone knew — Koko was already planning his revenge.
