Viral Claims About Monkey ‘Punch’ Being Bullied Prompt Response From Zoo

The zoo caring for Punch the monkey, a baby Japanese macaque who captured global attention online, has shared an update after concerns that he was being bullied by other monkeys. Punch lives at the Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Garden in Japan. His story went viral after a video showed the tiny monkey hugging a stuffed toy almost as big as he is. Zookeepers later explained that Punch had been rejected by his mother shortly after he was born last July. Without maternal care, he began clinging to the toy, which staff described as a “surrogate mother.”

Recently, another video showing Punch being dragged by an adult monkey raised concerns online. Some viewers feared he was being mistreated by the troop. In response, the zoo posted an update on X, explaining that the behavior seen in the video does not represent serious aggression. According to the zoo, macaques live in a strict social hierarchy, and dominant monkeys often discipline younger or lower-ranking members.
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“Although Punch has been scolded many times by other monkeys, no single monkey has shown serious aggression toward him,” the zoo said. Staff also explained that these behaviors are different from human abuse and are part of normal troop interactions. The zoo added that Punch’s situation has actually been improving. More monkeys have begun interacting and playing with him, and he now spends less time clinging to his stuffed toy.

However, some monkeys that appeared particularly rough with Punch were removed from the enclosure on March 8 as a precaution. Zookeepers also said moving Punch to a different group could harm his development. Instead, staff plan to continue monitoring him closely while ensuring he remains part of the troop. The zoo says its goal is to help Punch grow and live a healthy life among the other monkeys.