The heartbreaking story of Punch, a baby Japanese macaque abandoned by his mother, has captivated the internet over the last few weeks. Punch is a resident of a zoo in Japan, where he has faced bullying from older inhabitants of his enclosure. Clips and photos of the tiny macaque clutching his cherished IKEA orangutan plushie have been shared millions of times on social media, sparking an outpouring of love and sympathy from viewers around the world.
The bullied baby monkey
Visuals of Punch getting beaten and slapped by older monkeys inside his enclosure at the Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Gardens had gone viral earlier this month. Punch, hand-raised by zoo staff, was given an orangutan plushie for comfort, which the pint-sized primate has since clung to fiercely, guarding it with a devotion that belies his young age and tiny size.
The popularity of the baby monkey was such that visitors to the zoo rose sharply as fans crowded for a glimpse of Punch. One such visitor, who visited the zoo yesterday, has given an update on Punch.
Punch makes new friends
Instagram user Annie shared a video of her trip to Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Gardens. Annie travelled two hours specially to see Punch, and was rewarded for her efforts when she caught a glimpse of the baby macaque dragging his orangutan plushie around.
Annie was also happy to confirm that Punch seems to have made some new friends.
{{/usCountry}}Annie was also happy to confirm that Punch seems to have made some new friends.
{{/usCountry}}“Some monkeys are still tough on him, but Punch doesn’t give up and has made some friends!” Annie said in her Instagram video, which was filmed on February 22.
In her caption, the Japan-based Instagram user said that Punch seems to be slowly integrating with the group.
“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,” she wrote.
“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,” Annie revealed.
The Ichikawa Zoo also confirmed in an X post that Punch was groomed by two monkeys and is steadily fitting into the group.
(Also read: Punch the abandoned monkey: Japanese macaque draws Moo Deng comparisons; ‘who’s cuter?')