This Baby Monkey In Japan Was Abandoned By His Mother And Now Clings To A Plushie For Comfort
Punch is seen cautiously dragging the plush toy as he approaches other monkeys or curling up beside it for comfort.
A six-month-old monkey in Japan named Punch, is breaking hearts online over his devotion to a stuffed monkey he refuses to let go of after being abandoned by his mother.
Abandoned by his mother as a baby, Punch, a young macaque, was hand-raised by humans before being brought to the Ichikawa City Zoo, where he was introduced to a troop of macaques on Jan. 19.
The adjustment has not been easy for Punch.
Often Punch can be seen clinging onto a plush monkey — an IKEA DJUNGELSKOG to be exact — gifted to him by his caretakers.
In videos, Punch is seen cautiously dragging the plush toy as he approaches other monkeys or curling up beside it for comfort.
When zookeepers enter the enclosure, he clings to them too.
According to the zoo’s website, monkeys raised by humans during their first months can struggle socially, sometimes becoming too dependent on humans and wary of their own kind.
Punch’s entry into the troop has endeared many and emotionally wrecked thousands more.
“That baby monkey is all of us,” a person wrote on X.
“I’m not emotionally sound enough to handle this,” another person wrote after watching a clip of Punch being pushed by another monkey.
Others are reposting pictures of Punch with inspirational phrases to keep going.
“Ultimately I have to be brave,” one person wrote on X with a picture of Punch dragging his plushie, gaining more than 4.1 million views.
But there are signs of progress.
The zoo said Punch’s interactions with the troop have increased each day.
“He’s getting groomed, playfully poking at others, getting scolded, and having all sorts of experiences every day, steadily learning how to live as a monkey within the troop!” the zoo said on X on Feb. 6.
Punch is slowly finding his place with the other monkeys.
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