Punch Monkeys: punch monkeys viral baby Punch rejected by mother given stuffed orangutan
Punch monkeys have captured attention after an abandoned baby monkey who hugged a stuffed orangutan as a substitute for his mother has begun to find comfort among his own kind. Punch, a young Japanese macaque at the Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan, went viral after videos showed him dragging around and playing with a soft toy that zookeepers gave him.
Punch Monkeys find group comfort
An abandoned baby monkey who broke millions of hearts online, after being spotted hugging an orangutan stuffed toy given to him as a substitute for his mother, has finally found comfort among his own kind. Punch was given the soft toy by zookeepers and was later seen engaging with other macaques at the Ichikawa City Zoo.
Early weeks and human keepers
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. The toy served as a surrogate while Punch failed to establish maternal or peer connections early on.
Recent videos show social progress
But recent videos show he's turning things around. He was given a hug by one monkey and was seen grooming others, a key part of macaque socialisation. Those interactions mark an important change from his initial isolation and reliance on human carers and the stuffed orangutan.
Expert comment from Matt Lovatt
Matt Lovatt, director for the UK's Trentham Monkey Forest, spoke to Breakfast about the behaviour of Punch. "It's been great to see him starting to groom, because that's the key way these primates can start to build up friendships with the monkeys within their group", said Lovatt, who oversees the well-being of the Barbary macaques at a wildlife sanctuary near Stoke-on-Trent.
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Viral monkey Punch rejected by mother given stuffed orangutan. Video, 00: 01: 22
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Closing paragraph: Punch, the young Japanese macaque at Ichikawa City Zoo, moved from reliance on human keepers and a stuffed orangutan to being hugged and groomed by fellow monkeys, and his progress has been noted by experts including Matt Lovatt, director of the Trentham Monkey Forest, who said grooming is the key way these primates build friendships within their group.
