Punch the orphan macaque is outgrowing his plushie and making friends
By MARI YAMAGUCHI
ICHIKAWA, Japan (AP) — Punch, the orphaned baby macaque, has outgrown the stuffed orangutan that comforted him despite early rejection by his mother and other monkeys.
Footage of Punch dragging a toy bigger than himself has caught the attention of residents at a zoo near Tokyo. When other monkeys chased the baby away, Punch rushed to the toy orangutan, hugging him for comfort.
But he uses the toy less. Recently, Punch has been seen climbing onto the back of another monkey, sitting with adults and sometimes being groomed or hugged.
“It was good to see him grow and I am reassured,” said Sanae Izumi, a 61-year-old Punch fan from Osaka who came to the zoo because she was worried about the baby monkey. “He’s adorable!” »
Punch was abandoned by his mother after birth, possibly due to exhaustion. Zookeepers treated him and gave him the toy to train him to cling, a skill newborn macaques need to survive.
“Helping Punch learn the rules of monkey society and be accepted as a member is our most important task,” said Kosuke Kano, a 24-year-old zookeeper.
Punch was so popular after footage of him and his toy surfaced online last month that the zoo had to establish rules for visitors to remain quiet and limit viewing to 10 minutes to reduce stress on the more than 50 other monkeys.
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Punch, a Japanese macaque born July 26, 2025, climbs on the back of another in the monkey playground at the Ichikawa City Zoo, in the neighboring city east of Tokyo, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)
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Punch, a Japanese macaque born July 26, 2025, climbs on the back of another in the monkey playground at the Ichikawa City Zoo, in the neighboring city east of Tokyo, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)
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Punch avoiding the toy most of the time is now a good thing.
“When he grows up, this plush toy will encourage his independence, and that’s what we hope,” said zoo director Shigekazu Mizushina.
Punch still sleeps with his toy every night, but Mizushina said the next thing the keepers want to see is Punch grouped with other monkeys to sleep.
