One day, when the Maharshi (Ramana Maharshi) was seated in the midst of his devotees, he suddenly got up and strode quickly towards the hill. Kunju Swami said, “I was very curious. Bhagavan usually never did anything unpredictable. On the rare occasions that he did, there was always some significance behind it.” Kunju Swami was waiting for Bhagavan to instruct him to come, but the guru went alone. From a distance, he could see Bhagavan surrounded by monkeys. After half an hour or so Bhagavan came back with his eyes swollen from shedding tears. “We were alarmed and asked what happened.”
Bhagavan replied, “These monkeys have been searching for me at Skandashram. When I left, they searched all over the hill putting their lives in peril. Monkeys live in kingdoms and if they wander into another territory they could be killed by rival monkeys. These monkeys have come with their children risking their lives and are begging me to come back to Skandashram because they miss me there. It took me a long time to persuade them. I explained my situation and asked them to go back. I gave them my assurance that they will get back safely.”
Whenever Kunju Swami narrated this anecdote he would weep copiously because it would bring before him and us, Bhagavan‟s poignant unity with the animal kingdom. Bhagavan would often point out, “What is the difference between animals, birds and us? Birds wear the bird body, animals wear the animal body and we wear the human body. We all wear different bodies like different shirts, but in reality we are all the same being.”

- Ramana Periya Puranam, 'Kunju Swami'