Endangered baby monkey survives with the help of a teddy bear – vocabulary

teddy bear – a soft toy bear
a comforter – a large soft flat bag filled with feathers or artificial material used on a bed (like a duvet)
surrogate – adjective [before noun] 1) replacing someone else or used instead of something else:
eg Because I had no children of my own, my brother’s son became a kind of surrogate child to me.
2) a surrogate mother – a woman who has a baby for another woman who is unable to become pregnant or have a baby herself
eg Mrs Brown agreed to act as a surrogate mother for her sister.
to hail sb/sth as sth – phrasal verb – often passive – to praise a person or an achievement by saying that they are similar to someone or something very good.
Eg He’s being hailed as one of the best up-and-coming young pianists today.
The film was hailed as a masterpiece in its day.
a red-letter day – a noteworthy or memorable day. (This originates from the 18th century practice of highlighting festivals in red on calendars.)
to step in – phrasal verb – to become involved in a difficult situation or argument in order to help find a solution
eg A member of the public has stepped in to save the picture from leaving the UK.
When the director was ill for some time last year, his deputy stepped in and took over.
to accuse s.o.of + noun / -ing form of verb
inseparable – adj – uninclined, or unable to be separated
(The word bond, though not used in this account, is a common verb and noun used in this context – meaning to create a secure / close relationship
Eg The activity aims to bond the group into a closely-knit team.
Fathers who are absent at the time their babies are born sometimes find it harder to bond with their children than if they are present on their arrival.
poo-ey – smelling of, or looking like poo (child’s word for excrement)
smelly – adjective – having an unpleasant smell
trudge – 1) walk slowly, effortfully, and with heavy steps, typically because of harsh conditions or exhaustion
trudge round – to spend a lot of time walking around trying to locate or achieve sth
unrecognisable – not able to be recognised
enclosure – noun – an enclosed area
the pet trade – the business of supplying animals as domestic pets
bushmeat – wild animals killed in the bush i.e. especially in Australia and Africa
the bush – an area of land covered with bushes and trees which has never been farmed and where there are very few people
a beacon – 1) a fire lit on top of a hill as a signal 2) a light which serves as a signal for ships or aircraft
a beacon of hope – figurative – a cause for hope
in the wild – in natural conditions, independent of humans (as opposed to in captivity (of animals) or in cultivation (of plants).