Baby monkey Punch first birthday brings fans and cards to Japan zoo
Punch, a young macaque at Ichikawa City Zoo, turns one Sunday after online fame brought crowds, criticism and donations.
By Tom Brennan · Health & Medicine Correspondent
3 min read
Baby monkey Punch's first birthday is drawing attention far beyond Ichikawa City Zoo, where the young Japanese macaque has become an internet favorite after videos showed him holding a plush toy for comfort. AFP reported that Punch turns one on Sunday, with about 2,500 birthday cards from around the world displayed ahead of the date.
Punch was abandoned by his mother and had difficulty fitting in with other monkeys, according to AFP. His public following grew after the zoo, located outside Tokyo, began posting social media videos in February showing his awkward attempts to join the group while he stayed close to a plush orangutan toy from IKEA.
Why is baby monkey Punch famous?
Punch became known online because viewers followed his early struggles to be accepted by his troop and his attachment to the toy. AFP reported that fans rallied around him under the hashtag #HangInTherePunch.
Zoo official Takashi Yasunaga told AFP on Friday that Punch is healthy, growing well and now spends more time with other animals. Yasunaga said the young monkey relies on the orangutan doll less often and has begun playing with other baby monkeys.
Yasunaga said Punch is finding his place within the group. The zoo official added that the attention around Punch has helped improve conditions for more than one animal at the facility.
How has Punch changed the zoo?
AFP reported that Ichikawa City Zoo, which had previously drawn no more than a few hundred visitors on many days, has seen thousands of domestic and international fans arrive because of Punch. The zoo also received a flood of phone calls and emails, with some people praising its care and others objecting to how Punch is kept.
American visitor Sarren Eilers told AFP on Friday that TikTok videos of Punch kept appearing for him and that he came because his girlfriend liked the monkey. Eilers said he had seen Punch online and wanted to see him in person.
The attention has also created problems. AFP reported that American YouTubers entered the monkey enclosure without permission in May, and that an unidentified person pointed a laser at the animals last month.
The zoo has raised 58 million yen, about $350,000, through donations tied to Punch's popularity by mid-July, according to AFP. The money paid for a new air-conditioning system, and Yasunaga said the monkey group and the wider zoo benefited from better conditions.
AFP reported that Punch now rests in shaded areas during the day and becomes more active in the cooler early evening. Local fan Junko Hara, 38, told AFP that she sees Punch as strong and resilient, and that watching him encourages her.
Another supporter, 66-year-old Yukie Mibayashi, told AFP that people around the world are cheering for Punch. She said she wanted him to know that people are watching and urging him on.
This story draws on original reporting from Phys.org.