The story of Punch the macaque
A six-month-old Japanese macaque named Punch is living at the Ichikawa Zoological and Botanical Park, where he is gradually adapting to life within a troop after being rejected by his mother, with the support of zoo staff, Qazinform News Agency reports.
Punch was born on July 26, 2025, weighing around 500 grams. His mother, weakened after her first birth, was unable to care for the infant, prompting specialists to begin artificial feeding. Under normal circumstances, newborn macaques cling to their mother’s fur from the first days of life, which helps them feel secure and develop muscle strength. As Punch did not have this opportunity, caretakers provided alternatives such as towels and soft toys.
The infant developed a particularly strong attachment to a plush orangutan toy, which he uses for comfort and sleeps with. This helps compensate for the lack of maternal contact during an early and critical stage of development.
With future reintegration into the troop in mind, Punch was raised close to other macaques so he could become accustomed to the smells and vocalizations of his peers.
On January 19, he was transferred to the monkey enclosure to begin full integration. At first, the young macaque faced cautious reactions from adult animals and remained somewhat isolated, rarely letting go of his toy.
Punch now weighs about 2 kilograms and is gradually beginning to interact with other members of the group. Specialists note that the adaptation process is progressing calmly and in line with the infant’s individual pace of development.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that crowds gathered in Tokyo for the final public viewing of the giant pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei at the Ueno Zoological Gardens.
