US EditionPunch, the Viral Baby Monkey, Isn’t Being Bullied, Ichikawa City Zoo Says
Ichikawa Zoo says social discipline, not bullying, explains treatment of Punch, a motherless macaque clinging to a plush toy amid rising visitor numbers and global online interest.
- Amid viral video, the zoo said the incidents reflect normal macaque social discipline rather than abuse, denying Punch was being bullied.
- Punch, a seven-month-old macaque, was abandoned by his mother after his July 2025 birth and raised artificially, complicating reintegration into the strictly matrilineal macaque society without maternal guidance.
- Keepers first tried rolled-up towels then introduced an IKEA orangutan plush that Punch adopted as a surrogate mother, and video footage from February 2026 showed him being chased and later groomed by peers.
- The zoo said on March 10 it received many voices of concern, social media users created fan art and petitions, while PETA urged relocation, prompting visitor restrictions.
- Experts warned the heightened attention might encourage illegal trade in infant monkeys, while the zoo cautioned that separating Punch could prevent his return to the troop.
36 Articles
36 Articles
Zoo Releases Statement To Address Concern That Punch The Monkey Is 'Being Bullied' By Other Monkeys
Punch the Monkey went viral overnight because of his adorable face and his companion stuffed animal that he cuddled with after arriving at the Ichikawa City Zoo.As adorable as viewers across the globe thought he was, however, some were concerned about the orphaned monkey's ability to adjust to the new space and become a part of the troop. Because of videos that appeared online showing older monkeys correcting and disciplining him, some viewers w…
The zoo of the city of Ichikawa in Japan denied this week that the macaque Punch suffered harassment from other members of his group.The small seven-month-old monkey achieved world fame after being abandoned by his mother and seeking comfort in an orangutan stuffed animal of the IKEA brand.The alarms among netizens went on when the center published on social network X that the animal received frequent scolding from other monkeys. Several videos …
Rejected by his mother, "Punch" was raised in an artificial environment after being born in July and began training to reintegrate into his group earlier this year.
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