Having gone viral, the images of Punch, a seven-month-old macaque, and his orangutan stuffed animal have gone around the world. Rejected at birth by his mother, the little primate at the Ichikawa Zoo, near Tokyo in Japan, found an unexpected emotional substitute thanks to the keepers. The fate of the little primate, born last July in the animal park, worried Internet users around the world.
Videos posted on social media show the young animal being chased and then manhandled by older macaques inside the enclosure. We then see him walking alone with his toy, which he regularly hugs against him. Unless you have a heart of stone, it’s hard not to be moved by it.
Faced with these scenes, the public wondered about the reasons for this maternal abandonment. In the columns of the Guardian, Alison Behie, anthropologist and primate specialist at the Australian National University, recalls that this type of rejection remains unusual and generally results from particular circumstances linked to the age, health or inexperience of the mother. “In Punch’s case, his mother was primiparous, indicating a lack of experience. Her calf was born during a heat wave, a highly stressful environment.”
Baby macaques usually cling to their mother’s body from birth, a behavior essential for developing muscular strength. The trainers purposely gave Punch a plush toy larger than him, which he can squeeze as he pleases. “The fact that the toy looks like a monkey could help Punch reintegrate into the group later»specifies Kosuke Shikano, zookeeper at Ichikawa Zoo.
This need for contact echoes scientific work from the 1950s, reports Libération. In an experiment conducted by American psychologist Harry Harlow, baby monkeys separated from their mothers had to choose between a metal doll and food or a cloth model. The little ones systematically turned to the second option. Since then, the use of stuffed animals with orphaned animals has become widespread in zoos.
The aggressiveness of primates remains common
Friday February 20, the story experienced a new twist with the broadcast of sequences of the young monkey being violently dragged in a circle by a much more imposing fellow monkey. Punch then runs to take refuge behind a rock, hugging his teddy bear. For specialist Alison Behie, however, this aggressive behavior constitutes “normal social interaction” in primates. Macaques live in strict matrilineal hierarchies, where dominant bloodlines impose their rank. According to the researcher, the presence of the mother would not necessarily have made it possible to avoid these brutal interactions.
In the meantime, the adventures of the baby macaque are making the butter of the animal park, which is experiencing a notable influx of visitors, and… of Ikea. The Swedish brand is riding the wave with targeted advertising for its soft toys. Its Spanish subsidiary published on X a montage showing Punch in the arms of their stuffed orangutan – a publication quickly relayed by several of the group’s national accounts. The flat-pack furniture giant also donated numerous animal stuffed animals to the zoo.
For Carla Litchfield, associate professor of psychology at the University of Adelaide in Australia, the Punch story illustrates the capacity of social networks to bring humans and animals together. “Let’s hope the millions of likes and media attention don’t worsen the illegal trade in baby monkeys destined for the exotic pet market», she warns, aware that public opinion judge these little beasts “adorable” and sees “excellent pets”.
She reminds us that macaques must live in groups to thrive. A warning all the more relevant as global trafficking in live animals reached a record level in 2025, according to Interpol data.
