{"id":478646,"date":"2026-03-16T13:23:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T13:23:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/478646\/"},"modified":"2026-03-16T13:23:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T13:23:11","slug":"learning-from-punch-the-monkey-how-spore-experts-help-abandoned-baby-animals-get-back-on-their-feet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/478646\/","title":{"rendered":"Learning from Punch the monkey: How S\u2019pore experts help abandoned baby animals get back on their feet"},"content":{"rendered":"

SINGAPORE \u2013 Punch, the baby monkey in a Japanese zoo, has captured hearts all over the world with his adoration for a stuffed orang utan toy<\/a> after he was abandoned by his mother.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But abandonment cases like his are not unusual in zoos or in the wild, and can happen due to factors such as environmental stress and parents\u2019 inexperience, experts told The Straits Times.<\/p>\n

In some cases, rehabilitation of these young animals also involves the use of stuffed animals.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Wildlife rescue group Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) uses them to provide baby animals, such as birds and common palm civets, with warmth. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe stuffed toys also help to keep them calm because they may think it is their mum,\u201d said ACRES chief executive Kalaivanan Balakrishnan. <\/p>\n

Meanwhile, zookeepers at Mandai Wildlife Group also use tools such as plush toys and blankets with hot water bottles to reduce stress, provide sensory stimulation and mimic aspects of maternal care such as warmth or tactile comfort, said Dr Cheng Wen-Haur, deputy chief executive of life sciences at Mandai Wildlife Group.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

ACRES uses stuffed toys to provide comfort and warmth to abandoned baby animals, such as common palm civets (left) and chicks (right).<\/p>\n

PHOTO: ACRES<\/p>\n

Parental abandonment of their young can happen due to first-time motherhood, illness or environmental stress, said Dr Cheng.<\/p>\n

When such instances are observed, Mandai\u2019s animal care and veterinary teams will step in to provide species-specific support, such as enrichment and health\u00a0monitoring, Dr Cheng added.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For instance, Mandai\u2019s Bird Paradise welcomed two gentoo penguin chicks in 2024<\/a>. However, zookeepers noticed the first-time penguin parents struggling to meet the demands of feeding two chicks.<\/p>\n

The first baby developed well under its parents\u2019 care, but the second chick appeared underfed. <\/p>\n

The penguin care team made the decision to temporarily retrieve one chick for hand-raising, to give both the best chance of survival.<\/p>\n

The hand-reared chick was fed a diet of krill and small herring fillets, and its keepers provided stuffed toys as an extra source of warmth and comfort. It grew steadily and eventually rejoined its parents in the exhibit less than two months later.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile hand-raising can provide critical support, we recognise that it cannot fully replace the social and behavioural lessons a mother and her social group provide,\u201d said Dr Cheng.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhenever possible, we try to reintegrate hand-reared young with their mothers or social groups to learn these skills at a natural pace, though outcomes can vary depending on species and social dynamics.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A gentoo penguin that was hand-raised and later reintegrated with its parents. Keepers provided plushies to the chick as an additional source of warmth and comfort.<\/p>\n

PHOTOS: MANDAI WILDLIFE GROUP<\/p>\n

In some cases, adults of the same species are also observed to help care for another\u2019s young, a process also known as cross-fostering.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dr Cheng said: \u201cAmong our manatees and orang utans, we have observed mothers caring for and suckling foster infants, reflecting the cooperative behaviour in our social species.\u201d<\/p>\n

In primates, some troops may have complex social structures with hierarchies that are essential for thriving in their social groups, and young animals can develop motor and social skills from what may appear as rough behaviour to humans, he added.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In Punch\u2019s case, Japanese macaque mothers may occasionally abandon their young due to reasons such as inexperience in caring for their first baby, or abnormality in the offspring, said primate expert Michael Gumert from Nanyang Technological University\u2019s School of Social Sciences.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSpeaking humanely, it\u2019s a terrible thing from our perspective. But in wild animals, a parent trying to care for a youngster they cannot care for, may not only lead to a dead offspring, but could also lead to the parents\u2019 own early death, and even the loss of other offspring,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He also noted that the aggressive and targeted mobbing towards Punch in viral videos represented typical behaviour seen in monkey species such as macaques and baboons.<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cA good lesson here is that the zookeepers knew what to do and (intervened in this case of parental abandonment) successfully. As I understand the story, Punch is now integrating into the group<\/a>, which is really the primary concern for him in a zoo environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Punch, the baby monkey in a Japanese zoo, has captured hearts all over the world with his adoration for a stuffed orang utan toy after he was abandoned by his mother.<\/p>\n

PHOTO: AFP<\/p>\n

Wild animals which care for their young, such as mammals, may prioritise their own survival or the survival of other offspring, resulting in them abandoning their young, wildlife experts told ST.\u00a0<\/p>\n

However, true abandonment tends to be quite rare, said local primatologist Andie Ang. <\/p>\n

\u201cOur perceived \u2018abandonment\u2019 may be a misunderstood natural behaviour \u2013 parents may leave the young temporarily while foraging, or the young may simply wander off,\u201d she added.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIn actual cases of abandonment, they may be a response to extreme stress,\u201d Dr Ang explained, noting common human-driven causes such as habitat disturbance from development and vehicle collisions. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen an animal\u2019s environment becomes unpredictable due to human activity, natural parenting behaviours break down,\u201d said Dr Ang, who is also the head of primate conservation and Singapore programmes at Mandai Nature. \u201cHuman actions are fundamentally reshaping wildlife experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added that rehabilitation of abandoned wild animals typically focuses on minimising human imprinting, a process where young animals form a rapid bond with a human it views as a parent. <\/p>\n

Another priority would be maximising survival skills, while ensuring the young animals receive nutrition and physical care. \u201cWhenever possible, the goal is to release the wild animals back into their natural habitat,\u201d she added. <\/p>\n

ACRES\u2019 Mr Kalaivanan also added that urbanisation and human activities, such as tree pruning that destroys nests or trapping animals, can also result in young animals becoming stranded or separated from their parents.<\/p>\n

ACRES has encountered situations where baby animals appear to be deliberately abandoned by their parents. \u201cThis has been noted in common palm civets, and it can also occur among birds, where a runt of the nest may be pushed out,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

In such situations, the wildlife rescue group would assess the status of the animal and hand-raise it where possible. <\/p>\n

Australian wildlife veterinarian Chloe Buiting, who garnered attention on Instagram through her post about other animal abandonment cases she had encountered, told ST that the mortality rates of baby animals abandoned by their parents are extremely high, as they are exposed to predation, dehydration and malnutrition.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dr Buiting, who has engaged in wildlife veterinary work globally and is currently the chief veterinary officer of conservation organisation The Global Protagonists, said that many rehabilitation centres and veterinary teams around the world are seeing an increase in orphaned wildlife.\u00a0\u201cThis does not necessarily mean parental abandonment as a behavioural choice is increasing. It means mortality pressures are increasing,\u201d she added.\u00a0<\/p>\n

However, rehabilitation can be resource intensive, ethically complex and is not a substitute for intact ecosystems, she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bottom line, and often uncomfortable truth, is that the best survival strategy for young animals is a living, healthy parent in a functioning habitat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Bottle-feeding a rescued pangolin that was abandoned.<\/p>\n

PHOTO: MANDAI WILDLIFE GROUP<\/p>\n

Punch\u2019s popularity can raise awareness about conservation and animal welfare, but social media can also create problematic engagement, noted Dr Ang.\u00a0<\/p>\n

By portraying wild monkeys as vulnerable and needing care in unnatural settings, without fully understanding their behaviours, human desire to own such creatures as pets may increase, which can drive illegal wildlife trade, she added.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we see primates behaving in a similar way to humans, whether that\u2019s clinging on to a stuffed toy or wearing clothes, we stop seeing them as wild animals,\u201d said Dr Ang. \u201cSeeing primates exhibiting unnatural behaviours, such as bonding to a stuffed toy, normalises it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThese unnatural behaviours are no longer seen as red flags, and that is dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Kalaivanan added that ACRES has observed young animals, which had most likely been hand-raised by members of the public, showing signs of emaciation, weakness and an inability to survive in the wild.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf members of the public encounter young animals, we urge them not to feed the animal or bring it home. These are the two most common mistakes people make,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The public can call the ACRES Wildlife Rescue Hotline on 9783-7782, or send a photo and video for them to assess the situation. They can also contact the NParks\u2019 Animal Response Centre on 1800-476-1600 for reports of wildlife in distress, or any inquiries and feedback on animal-related matters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SINGAPORE \u2013 Punch, the baby monkey in a Japanese zoo, has captured hearts all over the world with…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":478647,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[90,56,54,55,4407],"class_list":{"0":"post-478646","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wildlife","8":"tag-science","9":"tag-uk","10":"tag-united-kingdom","11":"tag-unitedkingdom","12":"tag-wildlife"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478646","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=478646"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478646\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/478647"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=478646"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=478646"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=478646"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}