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CREATING COMMUNITY. Punch, a Japanese macaque born on July 26, 2025, plays in the monkeys’ playground at the Ichikawa city zoo in Tokyo’s eastward neighboring city. Punch became very popular after images of him and his orangutan plushie showed up online. The zoo had to set rules to make visitors be quiet and to limit viewing to 10 minutes to reduce stress for the more than 50 other monkeys. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

ACHIEVING ACCEPTANCE. Punch, a Japanese macaque born on July 26, 2025, rides on the back of another primate in the monkeys’ playground at the Ichikawa city zoo in Tokyo’s eastward neighboring city. Punch the baby orphan macaque is outgrowing the orangutan plushie that comforted him through early rejection from his mother and other monkeys. Images of Punch dragging around the toy bigger than him drew attention to the residents of the zoo near Tokyo. When other monkeys shooed the baby away, Punch rushed back to the toy orangutan, hugging it for comfort. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

From The Asian Reporter, V36, #4 (April 6, 2026), pages 1 & 5.

By Mari Yamaguchi

The Associated Press

ICHIKAWA, Japan — Punch the baby orphan macaque is outgrowing the orangutan plushie that comforted him through early rejection from his mother and other monkeys.

Images of Punch dragging around the toy bigger than him drew attention to the residents of a zoo near Tokyo. When other monkeys shooed the baby away, Punch rushed back to the toy orangutan, hugging it for comfort.

But he’s been using the toy less. On a recent day, Punch was seen climbing on the back of another monkey, sitting with adults, and sometimes getting groomed or hugged.

"It was good to see him grow, and I’m reassured," said Sanae Izumi, a 61-year-old Punch fan from Osaka who came to the zoo because she was worried about the baby monkey. "He is adorable!"

Punch was abandoned by his mother after his birth, presumably because of exhaustion. Zookeepers nursed him and gave him the toy to train him to cling, an ability newborn macaques need to survive.

"Helping Punch learn the rules of monkey society and being accepted as a member is our most important task," said Kosuke Kano, a 24-year-old zookeeper.

Punch was so popular after images of him and his toy showed up online that the zoo had to set rules to make visitors be quiet and to limit viewing to 10 minutes to reduce stress for the more than 50 other monkeys.

Punch eschewing the toy most of the time now is a good thing.

"When he grows out of the plush toy, that encourages his independence, and that’s what we are hoping for," zoo director Shigekazu Mizushina said.

Punch still sleeps with his toy every night, but Mizushina said the next thing keepers want to see is Punch bunched up with other monkeys to sleep.

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