Japan’s Ichikawa City Zoo addressed concerns that its resident monkey Punch was “being bullied” by his fellow macaques as videos of him seeking comfort from an orangutan plushie continue to go viral.
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Don’t let the viral videos about Punch drive you bananas.
The Japanese zoo housing the beloved macaque monkey—which was abandoned by his mother shortly after his birth in July—addressed public concerns he is “being bullied” by his fellow primates.
“We have received many voices of concern from people both in Japan and overseas,” the Ichikawa City Zoo wrote on X (formerly Twitter) March 10. “At this time, there has been no evidence that Punch has been attacked in a way that would threaten his survival.”
Instead, the park clarified that Japanese macaque groups “follow a strict hierarchical society” in which “dominant individuals show ‘disciplining actions’ toward their subordinates.”
“These behaviors differ from human ‘abuses,'” the zoo continued. “These ‘disciplining actions’ do not occur incessantly, and Punch spends most of the day peacefully. The number of monkeys who look after or play with Punch is also increasing.”
And because of the monkey’s growing bond with the other animals, the organization noted that he’s spending less time with his stuffed orangutan toy.
Noting that a team of three veterinarians check on the animals daily, the zoo went on to deny that they’re intentionally “ignoring the ‘discipline’ or altering our care in order to attract sympathy” or to increase visitors and profits.
In fact, the Ichikawa City Zoo is taking some steps to make sure Punch is protected.
“A few high-ranking macaques have demonstrated aggression more frequently, and we removed these macaques from the troop on March 8 as a temporary measure,” the organization said. “We plan to monitor them carefully in this condition for a while.”
JIJI PRESS / AFP via Getty Images
But the zoo explained that it is not removing Punch from the enclosure, as fans have requested.
“This sentiment is completely understandable,” the statement read. “However, Punch has become accustomed to living in this troop, so separating him now would create the risk that he would never be able to return to the group and would have to continue living that way for the rest of his life.”
“We share your concerns about Punch,” it concluded, “and all the zookeepers and staff will continue to work together to ensure that Punch can continue to live a healthy life as part of this troop of monkeys.”
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