Will Punch The Monkey Be Forced To Give Up His ‘Iconic’ Stuffed Toy He Treats Like His Mother? Truth Behind Viral Claims

Punch, the baby Japanese Macaque is again in the spotlight of the internet with viral posts saying that soon he will lose the stuffed toy that has been his comfort since he was a baby. Punch is a surrogate child born in Ichikawa City Zoo, whose mother left him at a tender age and got a plush orangutan toy in the hands of zookeepers as a substitute companion. Videos of Punch hugging the toy went viral over time and he gained international love. It raised alarm among the fans when recent posts indicated that the toy was going to be removed as it was not allowing him to fit in his troop, and this created emotional responses online.

Will Punch The Monkey Be Forced To Give Up His ‘Iconic’ Stuffed Toy He Treats Like His Mother?

Nevertheless, the arguments regarding Punch losing his toy seem to be baseless. The Zoo has not made any announcement regarding the removal of the plushie, and the newest videos depict Punch playing with other monkeys as usual and occasionally still playing with the toy. Fact checks indicate that he is slowly learning to be less dependent on it and less time he spends holding on to it as he matures up. Experts say that he is naturally integrating into the troop and grooming and bonding behaviors can already be observed. Rather than being separated against his will, Punch appears to be making the transition at his own speed, to assure fans that the little macaque is healthy, strong and adjusting to the environment.

The prospective separation was widely lamented by many users, with the connection that Punch had to the coping of human infants to the trauma process. Others said that the loss of the plushie would be traumatizing, others encouraged the caretaker to give him more time to adapt. There were some deeply touching appeals like, please, please, keep it a bit longer, and some messages in support of Punch as a man of his own. Some even proposed auctioning the toy in future to make money to help the zoo. The emotional argument was the fact that people had become attached to the story of the young macaque and the fact that he had depended on the toy to give him comfort and security.

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