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A young monkey at an Israeli zoo has started walking like a human following a near death experience, the zoo's veterinarian said.

Natasha, a small five-year-old black macaque monkey at the Safari Park next to Tel Aviv, began walking exclusively upright on two legs after a stomach ailment nearly killed her, zookeepers said.

Monkeys usually alternate between upright movement and walking on all fours. A picture in the Ma'ariv daily on Wednesday showed Natasha standing ramrod straight like a human. The picture was labelled humorously: The Missing Link?

Two weeks ago, Natasha and three other monkeys were diagnosed with severe stomach flu. At the zoo clinic, she slipped into critical condition, veterinarian Igal Horowitz said.

"I was sure that she was going to die," he said. "She could hardly breathe, and her heart was not functioning properly."

After intensive treatment, Natasha's condition stabilised, but she exhibited strange behaviour, and a day after was released from the clinic, she began walking erect like a human being.

"I've never seen or heard of this before," said Dr Horowitz. One possible explanation is brain damage from the illness, he said.

Besides her evolutionarily advanced method of movement, Dr Horowitz said, Natasha's behaviour had returned to normal.

AP