The Ichikawa Zoo in Japan has responded to a viral video showing Punch the baby macaque being attacked by an adult monkey. In a statement, the zoo called on people not to pity the animal, but to support its efforts to establish contact with the troop.
This was reported by USA Today.
Punch, a baby macaque living in the Ichikawa Zoo, previously went viral after a video showed him dragging a stuffed orangutan around his enclosure. According to the zoo’s website, his mother abandoned him immediately after birth, and he was raised by the zoo’s staff. Punch was given the stuffed toy to help him cope with loneliness.
On February 19, a new video was published in which a larger monkey approaches Punch, drags him around the ground in a circle, after which the baby runs to the corner of the enclosure and hugs his stuffed orangutan. During the incident, both monkeys scream, and the audience can be heard gasping.
On February 20, the zoo released a statement explaining the circumstances of the incident. According to the zoo, before the video was recorded, Punch tried to communicate with another baby in the enclosure, but was pushed away. After that, an adult monkey, probably the mother of that baby, approached him and may have decided that Punch was annoying her baby.
“Although Punch is being scolded, he is demonstrating resilience and psychological strength. When you observe these disciplinary actions by other members of the troop towards Punch as he tries to interact with them, we would like you to support Punch’s efforts rather than pity him,” the zoo said in a statement.
Punch was born on July 26, 2025. In recent updates on social media, the zoo reported that he is gradually learning to live in a troop: he is cared for, he interacts playfully with others, he may be scolded, and he gains new experiences every day.