A macaque has amazed onlookers by swiftly and efficiently removing thorns from a woman’s arm while lounging on a log to carry out the operation.

The incident happened in the city of Jiyuan, located in central China’s Henan Province.

Footage shared online on 17th May shows the woman holding out her arm while the primate inspects it, then rapidly plucks out the thorns using its tiny fingers.

The animal acts with quick precision, removing the thorns in seconds before then continuing to lounge around as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

The woman meanwhile lifts her arm in relief, showing the thorns that had been troubling her had all been removed.

The clip has sparked an avalanche of reaction online and received nearly 2.5 million likes.

A monkey removes thorn from a woman's arm, in Jiyuan, Henan Province, China. The footage went viral after it was shared on 17 May, 2025. Note: Photo is a screenshot from a video. (AsiaWire/NX)

One user on Douyin, China's version of TikTok, titled 'Heart knot.' commented: "Monkey: I really don’t know how you evolved."

Another called 'Zhang Debo' said: "This is a literal animal doctor."

And 'Mandy' added: "It is so skillful, it plucked them out quickly and precisely."

(MJ Leidig/newsX)