Why Was Punch, The Viral Monkey, Abandoned by His Mother? Zookeeper Offers an Explanation
Punch, the monkey, is social media’s latest viral sensation because he has a strange friend. The Japanese macaque was born at Ichikawa City Zoo in 2025, but his story is quite heartbreaking, which is why everyone is drawn towards it. The macaque was rejected by his mother right after his birth, and he was left all alone. However, the zookeepers stepped up to raise him, and they replaced his mother with an orangutan plushie. The soft toy soon became a safe haven for Punch, providing him with safety and comfort. The visuals of his relationship with the stuffed companion are so adorable that they are now all over the internet.
Kosuke Shikano, a zookeeper looking after Punch, said that baby Japanese macaques normally stay tightly attached to their mothers, which helps them develop physical strength while also making them feel safe. Because Punch was separated from his mother early, zookeepers knew they had to step in quickly. At first, the team tried different comfort replacements, including rolled towels and various plush toys, hoping something would calm the infant. Eventually, they found the perfect substitute in an orangutan from IKEA.
“This stuffed animal has relatively long hair and several easy places to hold. We thought that its resemblance to a monkey might help Punch integrate back into the troop later on, and that’s why we chose it,” Shikano said, according to The Straits Times. The monkey has formed a strong attachment to the toy since then and is almost never seen without it. Punch is often seen dragging the oversized companion around the enclosure despite it being larger than he is. “I think there will come a day when he no longer needs his stuffed toy,” Shikano added.
However, everyone might be wondering why Punch’s mother abandoned him. There are many reasons behind it. According to Shikano, the mother may have rejected the baby macaque due to the intense heat during July. Extremely high temperatures can put extra stress on new mothers, sometimes affecting how they care for their newborns. Moreover, experts published research, mentioning that this kind of behavior is not unusual among primates, especially for first-time mothers. “In monkeys and apes, some mothers occasionally display violent behavior towards their infants and a few others abandon their infants shortly after birth,” the authors wrote.
The study also suggests that inexperienced mothers may struggle to form an immediate connection with their babies. Additionally, environmental stress such as heat, noise, or other disturbances can also play a crucial role. Researchers have also found that macaques raised in stressful or abusive conditions themselves may be more likely to neglect their own young ones later in life. In some cases, mothers who are weak, stressed, or lacking proper nutrition may focus on their own survival rather than caring for an infant.
When Punch was released inside the zoo, he faced an immense reaction from the fellow monkeys. They were seen slapping and beating him, making him cling closer to the plushie even more. However, in recent clips, the macaque can be finally seen making new friends. An Instagram user from Japan uploaded a video saying, “Today I watched Punch-kun for quite a while, and even though he is by himself a lot, he seems to be making friends and slowly integrating into the group. Not much bullying to see, so hopefully he keeps getting stronger and stronger. Of course, he still carries around his plushie, but sometimes he leaves it on the other side of the enclosure while playing around and looking for wooden sticks.”
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