Punch Monkey: the tragedy of punch monkey rejected by mother

Mo. Basuony

Published: March 2, 2026 8:11 AM ET

Punch Monkey: the tragedy of punch monkey rejected by mother

Punch, a seven-month-old Japanese macaque, has become the focus of intense public attention after being rejected by his mother and forming a bond with a stuffed orangutan given by zookeepers. Videos that circulated last week show Punch being bullied by other monkeys, and his case has prompted experts and keepers to describe why some mothers abandon offspring and how staff have tried to help him.

Punch Monkey and troop response

Punch was born last July at Ichikawa zoo and has been filmed multiple times being dragged and chased by older Japanese macaques inside the enclosure. Early clips showed him wandering alone with the toy after being pushed away by other monkeys, and clutching it tightly while being harassed. Viewers were briefly relieved when later videos emerged of another monkey grooming and comforting him. Just days later, new footage showed Punch once again being targeted — dragged aggressively in a circle by a much larger monkey before running to hide behind a rock, hugging his toy.

Other recent footage suggests improvement: Punch was given a hug by one monkey and was seen grooming others, a key part of macaque socialisation. 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, said: "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".

Zookeepers' substitute efforts for Punch

Following Punch's abandonment, zookeepers introduced a stuffed orangutan after trying alternatives, including rolling towels to different thicknesses for him to cling to. Keepers noted that in the first few months of his life he struggled to bond with the other monkeys in the zoo's enclosure and had only the company of human keepers and the stuffed toy to rely on. A zookeeper, Kosuke Shikano, said: "Baby Japanese macaques immediately cling on to their mother’s body after birth to build muscle strength. They also get a sense of security through holding on to something. However, because he had been abandoned, Punch had nothing to grip on to. " He added: "We thought that [the toy] looking like a monkey might help Punch integrate back into the troop later on. "

Expert views on mother abandonment

Alison Behie, a primatology expert at Australian National University, said such abandonment is unusual but can occur under certain conditions, citing "age, health and inexperience" as possible factors. Behie said: "In Punch’s case, their mother was a first-time mother, indicating inexperience. " Zookeepers also suggest Punch was born during a heatwave, which would be a high stress environment. Behie added: "In environments where survival is threatened from outside stress, mothers may prioritise their own health and future reproduction rather than continue to care for an infant whose health may be compromised by those environmental conditions. "

Behie also suggested the stuffed toy may be serving a role beyond comfort: "The toy Punch has may be serving as an attachment figure, especially given they are six months old so likely still need to be nursed. " She further argued that the behaviours of other monkeys towards Punch "isn't bullying or any abnormal behaviour, but regular social interaction" and noted that Japanese macaques have strict matrilineal hierarchies, where higher-ranking families assert dominance over lower-ranking ones. Behie said that even with his mother Punch would probably still face this aggression, and that without his mother "Punch may not develop the appropriate subordinate responses to show they submit to the dominance, which could have ongoing implications for the way they integrate into the group as an adult".

Visitor surge and zoo precautions

In recent days the zoo has experienced a surge of visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of Punch. In response, officials have enforced stricter barriers around the enclosure and urged visitors to remain quiet, avoid using stepladders or tripods for photography and limit prolonged vi — unclear in the provided context.

Other regional headlines and notes

The wider set of published items alongside Punch's story in the provided context included several unrelated regional notes: a suspect wanted for multiple counts of theft was caught outside a temple on the outskirts of Bangkok; a court is due to deliver its verdict in the insurrection trial of Yoon Suk Yeol; Arunoday Mukharji explains why India needs to capitalise on the momentum; a Lakshmi goddess shrine at a Bangkok shopping mall has become a place where young people come to pray for love; south Asia correspondent Azadeh Moshiri visited Sheikh Hasina's former residence which is now a memorial for the student protesters killed in the 2024 uprising; it was noted that it is the first election since the 2024 Gen Z uprising that toppled Bangladesh's long-serving prime minister Sheikh Hasina; the pro-democracy media tycoon was sentenced to 20 years in jail by the Hong Kong High Court; at least 31 people have been killed after a suicide bomber detonated a device at a Shia mosque, police said; a mayor in the Philippines survived a rocket launcher attack on his vehicle in broad daylight; correspondent Jonathan Head says the "devastating" accident is an enormous setback for Thailand's efforts to modernise its infrastructure; voters in Myanmar's election say the poll is taking place in a "climate of fear", South East Asia correspondent Jonathan Head reports; Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been found guilty of foreign collusion following a landmark national security trail; and thousands of adoring supporters had paid up to 12, 000 rupees (£100; $133) to catch a glimpse of the football star.

Punch's case — a seven-month-old Japanese macaque born last July at Ichikawa zoo and now closely watched by visitors and staff — remains under observation as keepers and experts monitor how his bond with a stuffed orangutan and interactions with the troop affect his long-term social development.