As easy as it is to love Punch, though, it is much harder to address the structures that put him in this position in the first place. While the internet loves baby animals, it often fails them when they\u2019re not in the spotlight.<\/p>\n
Take Moo Deng, for example, the pygmy hippopotamus who went viral for her sass<\/a> after biting zookeepers at the height of brat summer<\/a> in 2024. Just last week, a conservationist raised concerns<\/a> about the \u201csad\u201d state of Moo Deng\u2019s and her mother\u2019s enclosure, which zoo officials now plan to expand. And despite the mini hippo\u2019s astronomical fame, there has been no accompanying surge in funding<\/a> to protect Moo Deng\u2019s endangered kin in the wild, of which there are only 2,500 left.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also worth noting here that, as a general rule, whether you\u2019re a macaque or a pygmy hippo, most zoos are no great place to raise a family. My colleague Kenny Torrella has written about<\/a> the acute psychological distress \u2014 dubbed \u201czoochosis\u201d \u2014 that some animals experience in captivity, which could also help explain part of Punch\u2019s own painful maladjustment<\/a>.<\/p>\n As a result of their small enclosures and lack of stimulation, animals with zoochosis develop strange compulsive behaviors \u2014 like pacing or rocking back and forth \u2014 and in some disturbing cases, self-harm, like hair pulling<\/a> or self-biting<\/a>.<\/p>\n What your favorite internet-famous baby animal really needs<\/p>\n Just as most zoos exist primarily for human entertainment, so too do most viral animal sensations. \u201cWe seek out cuteness because it feels good,\u201d Joshua Paul Dale, who wrote a book<\/a> on the subject, told National Geographic<\/a> in 2024. In theory, \u201cfeeling the desire to protect, care for, and play with a cute baby or animal, even if it\u2019s only an image on our social media feed, encourages empathy and compassion.\u201d<\/p>\n But in practice, viral cuteness rarely translates into improved conditions or profound shifts in empathy for suffering animals, famous or otherwise.<\/p>\n This matters because even as the world dotes on Punch, rightfully sensing his capacity for complex emotions<\/a>, it could be doing a lot more to protect him and animals like him.<\/p>\n As Vox senior reporter Marina Bolotnikova has written<\/a>, Japanese macaques \u2014 alongside rhesus macaques, baboons, and squirrel monkeys \u2014 are among the research animals used for testing drugs<\/a> and other treatments.<\/p>\n Before Punch, there was the researcher Harry Harlow\u2019s infamous monkey lab, where, in a 1950s study of infant-maternal bonding, baby rhesus macaques were traumatically separated<\/a> from their mothers right after birth and given a surrogate monkey-shaped doll covered in a terry towel. More recently, the National Institutes of Health defunded a set of vision experiments<\/a> by the Harvard University neuroscientist Margaret Livingstone that involved sewing shut the eyelids of infant monkeys.<\/p>\n You might assume that because this kind of testing is very expensive \u2014 costing up to$50,000 to purchase each monkey<\/a> \u2014 and ethically uncomfortable, to put it lightly, that such treatment only occurs because it is absolutely scientifically necessary. That\u2019s not the case.<\/p>\n \u201cPast research in primates might have contributed to the advancement of medicine, but it is evident that the advanced methods now available have rendered it virtually obsolete,\u201d Michael Metzler, an emergency physician at Pioneer Memorial Hospital, told Bolotnikova. \u201cThese monkey studies divert funds and attention from the more valuable human-centered studies.\u201d<\/p>\n In a very rare win for science<\/a> under the Trump administration, the tide is turning, to some extent, against this kind of flagrantly cruel animal experimentation, especially on monkeys. But millions of animals still suffer from isolating captivity and exploitation in labs, zoos, circuses, or the exotic pet trade.<\/p>\n Making the world a better place<\/a> for animals like Punch doesn\u2019t come from views online or a visit to the zoo<\/a>, but from sustained pressure for better animal welfare. There\u2019s the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine<\/a>, which advocates specifically for animal-free scientific research, for example, and Born Free USA<\/a>, where you can \u201cadopt a monkey<\/a>\u201d rescued from exploitative places like zoos and labs. The International Primate Protection League<\/a> also focuses on promoting the conservation and protection of primates worldwide, while the Macaque Coalition<\/a> is a network of organizations specifically concerned with the abuse or exploitation of macaques globally.<\/p>\n If you would really do anything for Punch, if he activated your parental instincts like no other macaque has before, then advocating for better conditions for animals like him is probably the best place to start. I assure you, he already has plenty of plushies<\/a>.<\/p>\n You\u2019ve read 1 article in the last month<\/p>\n Here at Vox, we’re unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you \u2014 threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.<\/p>\n Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.<\/p>\n We rely on readers like you \u2014 join us.<\/p>\n Swati Sharma<\/p>\n Vox Editor-in-Chief<\/p>\n![\"Swati](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1772142307_790_image.png\"\/)
<\/p>\n