Punch Monkeys: Abandoned macaque Punch moves from stuffed orangutan to peer grooming

A young Japanese macaque named Punch, who captured attention when he was seen clutching a stuffed orangutan provided as a substitute for his mother, has begun interacting with his own kind — a hopeful development for punch monkeys and the zookeepers who cared for him.

Punch Monkeys: From stuffed orangutan to grooming

Punch is a young Japanese macaque at the Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan. He went viral after videos showed him dragging around and playing with a soft orangutan toy that zookeepers gave him. During the first few months of his life he struggled to bond with the other monkeys in his zoo's enclosure and had only the company of his human keepers and the stuffed toy to rely on. Recent footage shows a clear change: one monkey gave him a hug and Punch has been seen grooming others, an important part of macaque socialisation.

Punch's early life and the stuffed companion

Keepers provided the stuffed orangutan to serve as a substitute for Punch's mother when he was abandoned. The toy became a visible comfort for him while he found his place in the group. That early phase, when he relied primarily on human keepers and the toy, preceded the recent scenes of grooming and a peer hug that signal growing integration with his troop.

Expert reaction and the significance of grooming

Matt Lovatt, director for the UK's Trentham Monkey Forest, who oversees the well-being of Barbary macaques at a wildlife sanctuary near Stoke-on-Trent, spoke to a breakfast programme about Punch's behaviour. He highlighted grooming as the key way primates begin to build friendships within their group. The shift from solitary comfort with a toy to mutual grooming suggests Punch is making social progress among the other monkeys.

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What this means for Punch and what to watch next

The observable behaviours—hugging by another monkey and active grooming of peers—are key indicators that Punch is starting to form social bonds within his group. For punch monkeys like Punch, those interactions are essential for long-term welfare and integration. Details may evolve as keepers continue to monitor his progress and social interactions in the enclosure.