The Heartbreaking Reason Why This Baby Orangutan Is Hugging Herself

— -- A video of a baby orangutan hugging herself has gone viral this week.

Although many viewers may think the gesture is adorable, the International Animal Rescue, the organization that rescued 2-year-old Joss from an island near Indonesia with the help of the Natural Resources Conservation Agency, told ABC News the reason behind the hugs.

"Orangutan babies, when they are as small as Joss was when she was caught from the wild, they're normally clinging tight to their mothers to get contact and protection," International Animal Rescue's Communications Director Lis Key told ABC News. "And as the mother passes through the trees, the baby is clinging tightly. Nothing would normally separate them unless the death of their mother, sadly."

Although Key doesn't know what happened to Joss' mother, she said for the baby orangutan to be taken away at such a young age must have been "psychological torture."

Key said Joss was rescued on Jan. 5 from a family with four children, who had been holding the orangutan in captivity. The family was unaware it was illegal to care for a wild animal, according to the IAR, and voluntarily gave Joss up to be rehabilitated.

Since Joss has been in the care of veterinarians, she's already shown signs of improvement. The baby orangutan is now eating fruits and is also "showing interest in her surroundings," Key said.

Joss will now spend eight weeks in quarantine before starting her official rehabilitation process, which could take years.

More than 60,000 people have watched Joss' video and Key hopes her story reminds people to care for wildlife and the environment.

"If we value our planet and we value the precious wildlife...then we must value the orangutan, who are vital," she explained. "It's really a question of do we care about the environment and the planet and it's also a question of...whether we want to make sure these animals aren't suffering."