A baby monkey that was abandoned by his mother and troop at a zoo in Japan is finally being accepted by his peers.
Punch, a seven-month-old macaque, was given an Ikea Djungelskog soft toy by zookeepers after he was shunned by other animals and was seen rolling around and taking comfort in the stuffed orangutan. He has now been spotted on the back of another macaque in their playground at the Ichikawa City Zoo.
“It was good to see him grow, and I’m reassured,” said Sanae Izumi, 61, from Osaka, who came to the zoo because she was worried about the monkey. “He is adorable.” Other visitors have posted social media clips of Punch sitting with adults and being groomed or hugged.
Kosuke Kano, a 24-year-old zookeeper, said: “Helping Punch learn the rules of monkey society and being accepted as a member is our most important task.”
Punch on the back of another monkey at the zoo
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Punch had previously been dragged and chased by elders inside the enclosure. Video clips showed him wandering alone with the toy and clutching it tightly while being harassed.
Alison Behie, a primatology expert at the Australian National University, said Punch’s situation was unusual but could occur under certain conditions. Age, health and inexperience were possible factors.
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“In Punch’s case, their mother was a first-time mother, indicating inexperience,” Behie said. “Zookeepers also suggest Punch was born during a heatwave, which would be a high-stress environment.
“In environments where survival is threatened from outside stress, mothers may prioritise their own health and future reproduction rather than continue to care for an infant whose health may be compromised by those environmental conditions.”
Punch, right, with other monkeys
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Punch in the playground
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Punch became so popular after images of him and his toy appeared online last month that the zoo had to limit viewing to ten minutes to reduce stress for the more than 50 other monkeys. It also set rules to ensure visitors were quiet.
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A clip posted on X last week that appeared to show Punch waving has had more than 8 million views. One social media user wrote: “He probably sees people waving at him and now he copies people. This is the cutest.”
Another said: “He’s probably seen thousands of visitors waving at him.”
Visitors wait in the rain for a glimpse of Punch
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Zoo officials have been encouraged by signs that Punch is spending far less time with his cuddly companion. Shigekazu Mizushina, the zoo’s director, said: “When he grows out of the plush toy that encourages his independence, and that’s what we are hoping for.”
Although Punch still sleeps with his toy every night, Mizushina said zookeepers hoped they would soon see him sleeping huddled up with other monkeys.