However, these hopes were shaken this week after footage emerged showing an adult monkey aggressively dragging Punch by the neck around the enclosure floor, according to People.
In the video, a distressed Punch is seen breaking free and bounding over rocks to reunite with his toy, known as Ora-mama.
Footage of Punch the monkey being aggressively dragged by an adult monkey upset fans of the young primate. Photo / Facebook
The zoo later said the adult monkey involved was likely the parent of another juvenile Punch had been trying to interact with, People reported.
“She probably felt that her baby was annoyed by Punch and got upset,” the zoo said, adding that while Punch had been ”scolded many times” by other monkeys, none had shown sustained or serious aggression toward him.
Now, animal experts are weighing in, offering possible explanations for why Punch has struggled socially, and why some interactions may appear like bullying.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Dr Emily Bethell said Japanese macaques are “highly social primates” with a strong interest in their infants.
Bethell is an associate professor of primate cognition and welfare at Liverpool John Moores University.
“An abandoned youngster would be of interest to other macaques who might want to handle him, and there may be conflict over who gets hold of him,” she said.
“This can result in youngsters being handled quite roughly.”
Fans flocked to Ichikawa City Zoo to see Punch the monkey and his beloved orangutan soft toy. Photo / @ichikawa_zoo
Primatologist at Durham University, Professor Jo Setchell told the Daily Mail being abandoned early in life likely left Punch at a disadvantage.
“I have read that Punch was his mother’s first baby, in which case she might not have had a great deal of experience,” she said.
Setchell added Punch was born during a heatwave, which may have led his mother to “prioritise her own survival and her future offspring over caring for a baby that is unlikely to survive the current conditions”.
Sign up to Herald Premium Editor’s Picks, delivered straight to your inbox every Friday. Editor-in-Chief Murray Kirkness picks the week’s best features, interviews and investigations. Sign up for Herald Premium here.