A video of a baby monkey in Japan being bullied by other monkeys and rejected by its mother went viral last week and captured hearts around the world.

Punch, a Japanese macaque, was born at the Ichikawa City Zoo in July last year. He gained international attention after zookeepers gave him a stuffed orangutan after he was abandoned by his mother.

Without his mother’s guidance to help him integrate, Punch began to rely on toys for comfort. He has been filmed being dragged multiple times. chased By an elderly Japanese macaque in the enclosure. Early footage showed the monkey wandering alone with a toy after being pushed aside by other monkeys. grip tightly I tighten it tightly while being attacked. Viewers were then briefly relieved when another monkey video was released grooming and comfort he.

However, just a few days later, new footage revealed that Punch was targeted again, this time being dragged away. actively After forming a circle with the much larger monkey, he ran and hid behind a rock, clutching the toy.

The video raised questions about why monkeys abandon their babies. Alison Bihi, a primate expert at the Australian National University, said such abandonment was unusual but could occur under certain conditions, citing “age, health and inexperience” as possible factors.

Vihie said, “In Punch’s case, his mother was a first-time mother, which showed her inexperience.

“Zoo keepers also suggest that Punch was born during a heat wave, which would be a high-stress environment. In environments where survival is threatened by external stress, mothers may prioritize their own health and future reproduction over continuing to care for infants whose health may be compromised by such environmental conditions.”

After Punch was abandoned, zookeepers introduced stuffed orangutans after experimenting with alternatives, such as rolling up towels to different thicknesses for Punch to cling to.

“Baby Japanese macaques cling to their mothers’ bodies soon after they are born, gaining muscle strength. They also gain a sense of security by holding on to something. However, since they had been abandoned by Punch, they had nothing to grab onto,” says zookeeper Kosuke Shikano. Said.

“We thought that [the toy] “Looking like an ape might help Punch get back into the force later on,” he added.

Regarding the stuffed orangutan, Behy said, “The toy Punch is holding may be functioning as an attachment doll, especially considering the orangutan is six months old and still needs to nurse.”

Bihy added that the other monkeys’ behavior toward Punch “is not bullying or abnormal behavior, but normal social interaction.”

According to Bihier, Japanese macaques have a strict matrilineal hierarchy, with higher-ranking families asserting their dominance over lower-ranking families. Even with his mother, Punch would likely still face this attack, she said.

However, Behe ​​said that without his mother, “Punch may not develop appropriate subordinate responses to demonstrate submission to dominance, which may have a lasting impact on how he integrates into the group as an adult.”

In recent days, zoos have seen a surge in the number of visitors looking to catch a glimpse of Punch. The authorities cracked down on this tougher barriers Visitors were asked to remain quiet, avoid using stepladders or tripods to take photos, and limit viewing for long periods of time.

Conservation psychologist Carla Litchfield from the University of Adelaide pointed to the high intelligence of Japanese macaques, and their resulting popularity in biomedicine and neuroscience. experiment In Japan. She also said macaques were culled in Japan because of their tendency to destroy crops.

“This story about Punch highlights the impact of habitat loss, climate change, animal welfare in zoos, and the power of social media to connect people and animals,” Litchfield said.

“However, with millions of likes and attention on social media, we hope that the problem of illegal trade in monkey monkeys for the exotic pet trade does not get worse because everyone thinks baby monkeys are cute and make great pets.

“Monkeys grow quickly, and Punch becomes an adult in four years. And people no longer think of monkeys as cute and easy to handle. Monkeys hang out with other monkeys. Monkeys are social beings and need to be with their own species to grow mentally and physically.”

Punch isn’t the first zoo animal to gain worldwide popularity. In 2024, Mu Daeng, a young Thai pygmy hippopotamus, is winning hearts with his stubborn attitude and star quality.