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A ZOO near Tokyo recently made the official statement: “Currently, there is a young monkey carrying a stuffed toy in the monkey mountain enclosure”.
Monkey enthusiasts were moved, and the story took the world by storm.
Who is Punch the Monkey?
Punch is a little monkey who lives in Ichikawa Zoo, not far from Tokyo.
He is a 7-month-old Japanese macaque.
Why did Punch the Monkey’s Mother abandon him?
There has been a lot of speculation around the reason for Punch’s abandonment.
His keepers – Kosuke Shikano, 24, and Shumpei Miyakoshi, 34 – said parental abandonment by monkeys happens in certain circumstances.
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Shikano said: “The burden of her [Punch’s mother] first birth may have been a factor.
“In the monkey mountain troop, other mother monkeys sometimes take on childcare, so we observed from a distance on the day of birth, but there were no such signs.”
Primatology expert, Alison Behie, has cited “age, health and inexperience” for Punch’s Mother leaving.
Behie said, “In Punch’s case, their mother was a first-time mother, indicating inexperience.
“Zookeepers also suggest Punch was born during a heatwave, which would be a high stress environment. In environments where survival is threatened from outside stress, mothers may prioritise their own health and future reproduction rather than continue to care for an infant whose health may be compromised by those environmental conditions.”
A traumatic past is another possibility, studies have shown that female macaques are highly likely to be abusive mothers if they were abused as infants.
How did Punch the Monkey cope with abandonment?
Punch has often been seen cuddling up to his beloved stuffed orangutan toy.
Once his keepers could see that Punch was being left behind by his family, gave him extra care.
Shikano Said: “Since Punch was healthy, we temporarily separated him from the troop and began hand feeding him with milk.”
Infant monkeys instinctively cling to their mums from the time they’re born, so zoo staff gave Punch blankets and soft toys to abate his anxiety.
Punch’s favourite was definitely his orangutan, he has even been seen sleeping with the toy, wrapping his arms around it for reassurance.
“The stuffed animal’s fur made it easy to grab, and its appearance is also similar to a monkey, which likely provided a sense of security,” Shikano explained.
Whilst this orangutan occurrence was taking place, Ichikawa’s zoo keepers were working hard behind the scenes to reintegrate Punch with his old gang.
The integration has proved successful, and the little monkey is now bonded with a member of his troop.
A touching video has been shared of an older monkey grooming Punch.
“He’s actively engaging with other monkeys, and I can feel he’s growing up,” keeper Miyakoshi told Punch fans.
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