If your heart hasn’t already been broken and healed by Punch, the abandoned baby Japanese macaque who is just doing his best and trying to fit in at a zoo in Ichikawa City Zoo, you’re in for a real emotional journey. When he first arrived at the zoo, he struggled with socializing and showed signs of anxiety from the isolation. To help him with his transition, zoo-keepers gave him an orangutan plushie which he took to very fondly – photos of him cuddling and carrying the plushie around the enclosure quickly went viral and the heart of the Internet was captured.

Happily, Punch has now been seen being groomed and held by one of the adult macaques – a wonderful development for his socialization with the other monkeys at the zoo! You can read the Ichikawa City Zoo’s update here (if you don’t read Japanese, click the “translate” button!)

You can find photos and read more about Punch here.

Want to learn more about the social dynamics of Japanese macaques? Check out this search or some of the articles highlighted below (be sure to be logged in for off-campus access or connected to campus WiFi before clicking links)!

Male–male social bonds predict tolerance but not coalition formation in wild Japanese macaques by Tatsuro Kawazoe

Social play among juvenile wild Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) strengthens their social bonds by Masaki Shimada and Cédric Sueur

Have more questions about macaques or another topic? Reach out to us at the Information & Research Help Desk!