Punch Monkey: the tragedy of a rejected Japanese macaque and the toy that comforted him
A seven-month-old Japanese macaque has become an international focus after videos of his rejection and subsequent attachment to a soft toy circulated widely. The case of punch monkey matters now because the footage has both driven a surge of visitors to the zoo and raised questions about why mother animals sometimes abandon their offspring.
Punch Monkey’s origins at Ichikawa zoo and how the footage spread
Punch was born last July at Ichikawa zoo and is described as a Japanese macaque. Footage of him being rejected by his mother and forming a bond with a stuffed orangutan has gone viral around the world; videos of the seven-month-old were widely shared last week and have drawn international attention to his situation.
Zookeepers introduced a stuffed orangutan after trying towels; Kosuke Shikano explains
After Punch was abandoned by his mother, zookeepers tried alternatives, including rolling towels to different thicknesses for him to cling to, and ultimately introduced a stuffed orangutan toy. Zookeeper Kosuke Shikano explained that baby Japanese macaques immediately cling to their mother’s body after birth to build muscle strength and to feel secure, and said that because Punch had been abandoned he had nothing to grip on to. Shikano added that staff thought a toy that looked like a monkey might help Punch integrate back into the troop later on.
Video sequence: pushed away, groomed briefly, then dragged and hiding behind a rock
The clips show multiple episodes inside the enclosure. Early footage captured Punch wandering alone with the toy after being pushed away by other monkeys and clutching it while being harassed. Later videos showed another monkey grooming and comforting him, offering a brief respite. But days after that, new footage recorded Punch being dragged aggressively in a circle by a much larger monkey, after which he ran to hide behind a rock while hugging his toy.
Alison Behie at Australian National University on abandonment, hierarchy and attachment
Alison Behie, a primatology expert at Australian National University, said abandonment of infants is unusual but can happen under certain conditions, citing age, health and inexperience as possible factors. Behie noted that in Punch’s case their mother was a first-time mother, indicating inexperience, and that zookeepers also suggest Punch was born during a heatwave, which would be a high-stress environment.
