Zoo Responds to Claim That Punch the Monkey Is “Being Bullied”

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Don’t let the viral videos about Punch drive you bananas. 

The Japanese zoo caring for a baby macaque monkey—left alone by his mother soon after he was born in July—has responded to worries that the other monkeys are picking on him.

The Ichikawa City Zoo posted on X (formerly Twitter) on March 10th that they’ve received a lot of worried messages from people in Japan and around the world. They assured the public that, so far, there’s no sign that Punch has been hurt badly enough to be in danger.

The park explained that Japanese macaques live in a highly structured social group where those in charge sometimes correct the behavior of those lower in rank.

The zoo explained that these interactions aren’t like abuse seen in humans. These instances of correction don’t happen constantly, and Punch generally spends his day calmly. Plus, more and more monkeys are interacting with him positively, either by caring for him or playing with him.

It’s just… amazing to watch him! He’s really connecting with the other animals now, which is wonderful, but honestly, it slightly breaks my heart because he’s not clinging to his little stuffed orangutan as much anymore. It’s a good thing, I guess, showing he’s making real friends, but I just adored seeing him with that toy! Still, seeing him happy with his new pals is everything.

The zoo confirmed that three veterinarians examine the animals each day and stated they are not deliberately neglecting animal care to gain public sympathy or boost attendance and revenue.

In fact, the Ichikawa City Zoo is taking some steps to make sure Punch is protected.

The organization stated that several dominant macaques were showing increased aggression, so they were temporarily removed from the group on March 8th. They intend to closely observe these macaques to assess the situation.

But the zoo explained that it is not removing Punch from the enclosure, as fans have requested.

We understand these feelings,” the statement explained. “But Punch has settled into life with his troop, and removing him now could mean he’d be unable to rejoin them, leaving him permanently separated.

We understand your worries about Punch. All of our zookeepers and staff will keep working together to make sure he stays healthy and continues to thrive with his monkey troop.

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2026-03-12 04:47