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A six-month-old macaque named Punch, who was rejected by his mother at birth, has gotten the attention of social media users worldwide.
Punch, a baby macaque, has melted hearts online after photos showed him hugging and carrying a stuffed orangutan toy, “Ora-mama”, wherever he goes. In the viral images, the infant monkey clutches the toy tightly and refuses to let it out of sight.
Since the photos began circulating on social media, crowds have flocked to the Tokyo zoo to catch a glimpse of Punch. Many visitors say his story has touched their hearts, and his attachment to the toy resonates deeply, seeing in his behaviour a reminder of how companionship can ease loneliness. An onlooker first noticed that Punch was lonely and informed the zookeepers, prompting them to act.
According to a zookeeper, Kosuke Shikano, Japanese baby macaques, like Punch, cling to their mothers to build muscle strength and for a sense of security, but the baby macaque never got to experience that because he was rejected by his mother.
To make up for the rejection, zookeepers experimented with rolled-up towels and other stuffed animals before giving Punch the stuffed orangutan toy.
“This stuffed animal has relatively long hair and several easy places to hold. We thought that its resemblance to a monkey might help Punch integrate back into the troop later on, and that’s why we chose it.” Shikano told The Standard.
Zoo officials have said with optimism that his days of loneliness may soon be over, as he is now associating with other monkeys. Punch has been spotted in videos shared by zoo officials playing with other young monkeys and even climbing onto their backs.
