Article by Viory
Viral sensation Punch the macaque was seen walking on his hind legs at Japan’s Ichikawa Zoo.
Footage shows the seven-month-old running, climbing and sleeping alongside the troop, a marked turnaround after being bullied and pushed around by other monkeys in the early days.
Punch went global after videos circulated of him dragging around a stuffed orangutan toy, given to him by zookeepers because he had no other friends or family. He was later seen bonding, with one old macaque taking on the role of ‘bodyguard’ – as well as very cute videos of him sheltering from the rain. All can be found elsewhere on the site.
The infant was abandoned by his mother shortly after birth, prompting zoo staff to step in and introduce the soft toy, a ‘huggable orangutan’.
Monkeys are deeply social animals. Their emotional well-being is tied to relationships, troop dynamics, and the constant presence of companions. Isolation can lead to stress, abnormal behaviours, difficulty integrating and long-term psychological harm.
Infant abandonment is relatively uncommon among monkeys, affecting between one and three percent of newborns.
Article by Viory
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