Takashi Yasunaga, head of Ichikawa Zoo and gardens division said that Punch is trying his best to make new friends: “Recently, he has started to actively approach the other monkeys on his own, trying to communicate with them, and actually playing together with them.
“We’ve been seeing many more scenes like that, and as caretakers, we find that very encouraging.”
Punch has increased visitor numbers to Ichikawa Zoo so much over the last few months that there are now strict rules in place.
“When so many people’s eyes are focused on the monkey enclosure, the monkeys get stressed… We’ve established viewing rules around the monkey area, increased staff numbers to help guide and manage the flow of visitors,” Yasunaga said.