Punch, a tiny seven-month-old baby monkey, is not being bullied and spends most of his day peacefully, Ichikawa City Zoo near Tokyo clarified in a statement on Tuesday.
The Japanese zoo’s statement came after videos circulated online showing him being chased by other monkeys, sparking widespread concern.
The abandoned baby monkey, along with his heartwarming bond with a plush toy, has captured hearts around the world, making him an internet sensation as fans cheer him on while he adjusts to life with his troop.
Punch, a seven-month-old Japanese macaque, was abandoned and spurned by his mother shortly after birth. Without maternal guidance to help him integrate with the troop, he turned to a plush orangutan toy provided by the Zoo keeper for comfort and often carrying it around with him for support.
Last month, the zoo posted on X that Punch “had been scolded many times by other monkeys.” Videos showing him being chased by troop members circulated online, prompting some viewers to claim he was being mistreated.
He also had been filmed multiple times being dragged and chased by older macaques inside the enclosure, which netizens described as clear bullying. Early clips showed him wandering alone with the plush orangutan toy after being pushed away by other monkeys, clutching it tightly while being harassed. Later videos offered a more heartening scene, as other members of the troop were seen grooming and comforting him, suggesting that Punch is gradually being accepted.
“As a result, we have received many voices of concern from people both in Japan and overseas,” the zoo said in a statement on Tuesday.
The zoo added that Punch is gradually becoming less reliant on the stuffed toy as more troop members play with or look after him. “While dominant individuals may show disciplining actions toward their subordinates, as macaques do naturally, these actions in the macaque society ‘differ from human abuses’,” it said.
“Punch spends most of the day peacefully,” the zoo added, while cautioning that removing him now could harm his reintegration. “Punch has become accustomed to living in this troop, so separating him now would create the risk that he would never be able to return to the group and would have to continue living that way for the rest of his life.”
Raised in an artificial environment after being abandoned, Punch began training to rejoin his troop earlier this year. His story has inspired a devoted fanbase under the hashtag #HangInTherePunch, drawing large crowds to the zoo and boosting sales of his IKEA orangutan toy.
Animal rights group PETA said Punch’s situation highlights the challenges of zoos and urged his relocation to a “reputable sanctuary, where he could live in a more natural environment.”
