A tiny seven-month-old monkey has unexpectedly become the centre of global attention, drawing sympathy from millions after videos showed him rejected by his mother and seeking comfort in a stuffed toy. Punch, a Japanese macaque living at a zoo in Japan, went viral last week as footage captured him being pushed away by other monkeys and navigating life without maternal care, a rare but scientifically documented phenomenon in primate behaviour.
Punch, a Japanese macaque born last July at Ichikawa Zoo, gained global attention after zookeepers gave him a stuffed orangutan for comfort following his mother’s abandonment.
Punch’s story unfolded in fragments across social media. The first clips showed the young macaque clinging to a stuffed orangutan toy placed in his enclosure after she abandoned him. Soon after, more footage surfaced, Punch wandering alone, toy in tow, pushed aside by older monkeys and clutching it tightly as he struggled to find his place in the troop.
The images struck a chord online. Viewers across the world projected their own emotions onto the tiny primate, sympathy, protectiveness, even heartbreak. There was a momentary sense of relief when later videos showed another monkey gently grooming and sitting beside him.
The videos have sparked questions about why monkeys abandon their young. Alison Behie, a primatology expert at Australian National University, told The Guardian that while such abandonment is rare, it 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. 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.”
1. Maternal Inexperience and Stress
Primatology experts note that abandonment can occur when mothers are inexperienced, stressed, or facing harsh conditions. In Punch’s case, his first-time mother and a heatwave likely influenced her decision, as mothers may prioritize their own survival in difficult environments.
Scientific summaries indicate that maternal rejection in monkeys can be linked to social stress, competition, and environmental constraints such as lack of resources or social support. Dominance hierarchies, stress from other group members, and high environmental demands can interfere with normal caregiving.
3. Maternal Health and Infant Condition
Studies show that a mother’s health and the infant’s survival chances can influence care, with frail or sick babies sometimes abandoned so mothers can conserve energy for future offspring.
4. Biological and Evolutionary Factors
Studies of Japanese macaques show that newborn abandonment is more common among first-time and low-ranking mothers, supporting the idea that maternal care varies with experience and social hierarchy.
Following Punch’s abandonment, zookeepers introduced the stuffed orangutan after trying alternatives, including rolling towels to different thicknesses for him to cling to.
“Baby Japanese macaques immediately cling on to their mother’s body after birth to build muscle strength… However, because he had been abandoned, Punch had nothing to grip on to,” zookeeper Kosuke Shikano told The Guardian. “We thought that [the toy] looking like a monkey might help Punch integrate back into the troop later on,” he added.
As per the zookeeper, the stuffed toy acts as an attachment figure for Punch, who still needs care at six months. Other monkeys’ behavior is normal social interaction, but without his mother, Punch may struggle to learn proper social cues, affecting how he integrates into the troop as an adult.
The zoo has seen a surge of visitors to see Punch, prompting stricter barriers and reminders to stay quiet, avoid stepladders or tripods, and limit viewing time.
Carla Litchfield, conservation psychologist at Adelaide University, said, “This story about Punch highlights the impacts of habitat loss, climate change, zoo animal welfare, and the power of social media to connect people to animals.”
Punch isn’t the first viral zoo animal – Moo Deng, a young pygmy hippo in Thailand, captured hearts in 2024.