Struggling to integrate with the rest of his troop due to his lower status in the hierarchy, he was seen often pushed to the ground by older monkeys.<\/p>\n
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow<\/a><\/p>\n To ease his anxiety and loneliness, zookeepers gave him a soft IKEA orangutan toy, which quickly became his constant companion, as baby macaques normally cling to their mothers for much of their first year of life.<\/p>\n Videos show Punch carrying his plush \u201cmum\u201d surrogate, hugging it, and seeking comfort after a scuffle with his group, and they have since gone viral.<\/p>\n Long queues have formed at his enclosure at Ichikawa City Zoo as visitors flock to see Punch, while the plush toy itself has sold out in stores worldwide. IKEA has even sent additional orangutan toys for him to enjoy.<\/p>\n But there\u2019s more to Punch\u2019s story than a viral moment.<\/p>\n Professor Mark Nielsen from the University of Queensland<\/a> (UQ) said the tiny macaque\u2019s attachment to his toy echoes a famous 1950s experiment by US psychologist Harry Harlow.<\/p>\n Harlow removed rhesus monkeys from their mothers and gave them two surrogate \u201cmothers\u201d: one made of wire that provided food and drink from a small feeder, and one covered in soft terry towelling.<\/p>\n \u201cThis doll was soft and comfortable, but it didn\u2019t provide food or drink; it was little more than a furry figure the baby monkey could cling to,\u201d Nielson explained.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, we have one option that provides comfort, but no food or drink, and one that\u2019s cold, hard and wiry but which provides dietary sustenance.\u201d<\/p>\n The experiment challenged the behaviourist view at the time, which suggested primates, including humans, form attachments based on reward and punishment and follow whoever meets their physical needs.<\/p>\n Therefore, researchers expected the monkeys to stay with the wire \u201cmother\u201d that provided food.<\/p>\n But that didn\u2019t happen: the baby primates spent most of their time clinging to the soft, towel-covered \u201cmother,\u201d showing that comfort and emotional care were far more important than just being fed.<\/p>\n \u201cToday, we would see Harlow\u2019s experiments as a cruel and unkind thing to do,\u201d Nielsen said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t take a human baby away from its mother and do this experiment, so we shouldn\u2019t do this to primates.<\/p>\n The zoo wasn\u2019t running an experiment, but Punch\u2019s situation unintentionally mirrors Harlow\u2019s study.<\/p>\n The setup happened naturally, yet the outcome is strikingly similar.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s interesting to see people so fascinated by this parallel to an experiment conducted more than 70 years ago,\u201d Nielson said.<\/p>\n \u201cPunch is not just the internet\u2019s latest animal celebrity; he\u2019s a reminder of the importance of emotional nourishment.<\/p>\n \u201cWe all need soft spaces. We all need safe spaces. Love and warmth are far more important for our wellbeing and functioning than physical nourishment alone,\u201d Nielsen said.<\/p>\n The experiment helped shape modern attachment theory, which holds healthy development depends on children forming secure emotional bonds with attentive caregivers.<\/p>\n Without warmth and emotional support, even a well-fed child may fail to form a secure attachment.<\/p>\n Punch\u2019s plushie may not provide food, but it gives him exactly what he needed, a safe and comforting presence after being rejected by his mother.<\/p>\n Since forming his heartbreaking bond with the plush \u201cmum\u201d surrogate, Punch has begun making friends with other macaques in his enclosure, slowly moving up the social ladder while keeping his beloved toy close.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Grace Tame hits back at Albanese calling her \u2018difficult\u2019<\/p>\n 1 min read<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/473ad2cd4731d00782b4786a29ede2eb0732801b-16x9-x0y0w1280h720.jpg\")
The baby macaque hugs his orangutan plush, seeking comfort after being rejected by his mother. Credit: @mayo_mth\/Instagram![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/8ede36b66e0013d1181b077642e9547225f0d1ac-16x9-x0y0w1280h720.jpg\")
The plush toy that helped Punch find comfort is low in stock at IKEA Australia, while some resellers on eBay are charging inflated prices. Credit: IKEA\/eBay<\/p>\n![\"Harry](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/e3f83bedbe03300184b89f97cd9148817e62d8e0-16x9-x0y0w1280h720.jpg\")
Harry Harlow\u2019s famous experiment showing baby monkeys preferred soft comfort over wire mothers that provided food. Credit: Harlow, H. F. (1958). The nature of love. American Psychologist, 13(12), 673\u2013685.<\/p>\n