"We have received numerous expressions of concern from people in Japan and abroad regarding this matter," the Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba prefecture stated on 10/3, referring to social media posts claiming that Punch was being bullied by other monkeys in its enclosure.

The zoo affirmed that Punch is becoming less dependent on the stuffed orangutan, as more monkeys are caring for and playing with it.

Punch climbs on another monkey at Ichikawa Zoo on 3/3. Photo: AP

Punch climbs on another monkey at Ichikawa Zoo on 3/3. Photo: AP

"Alpha monkeys may exhibit some 'disciplinary actions' toward others in the troop, as macaque monkeys do in the wild, but such actions within a monkey community are not akin to abuse in the human world," the zoo declared, adding that Punch spends most of its day peacefully.

The zoo also stated that Punch has adapted to its current troop. Therefore, separating the animal would risk it never integrating with its peers and having to live in isolation for the rest of its life.

Punch hugs a stuffed orangutan at Ichikawa City Zoo, Chiba prefecture, Japan, on 19/2. Photo: AFP

Punch hugs a stuffed orangutan at Ichikawa City Zoo, Chiba prefecture, Japan, on 19/2. Photo: AFP

Male monkey Punch, born in July 2025 at Ichikawa City Zoo, recently attracted social media attention when images of it clinging to a stuffed orangutan as a "surrogate mother" went viral.

Its mother abandoned the animal shortly after birth, possibly due to a difficult delivery during a severe heatwave. Consequently, zoo staff cared for it. Punch has lived with the troop since 19/1. Zoo staff gave Punch the stuffed animal to comfort the baby monkey before it could integrate with the troop. According to zoo staff, Punch seeking comfort from the stuffed orangutan is normal behavior for a monkey its age.

Punch hugs a stuffed orangutan while running around its enclosure when chased by peers in February. Video: X/@visegrad24

By Ngoc Anh, based on reports from AFP, Yahoo News, and Japan Times.