Viral baby monkey Punch shows progress at Japanese zoo as he slowly bonds with other macaques

A baby monkey at the zoo in Japan, who has been making the rounds online is slowly getting along with other monkeys. The infant macaque, named Punch, had been trending after videos showing the infant carrying the stuffed animal because it was having difficulties getting along with the other monkeys in the same enclosure.

The videos had been trending under the hashtag #HangInTherePunch, and people had been flocking the Ichikawa City Zoo located near Tokyo.

However, pictures that have recently been shared reveal a more positive development in this case. In these recent pictures, Punch is seen to be sitting near another macaque, and in some other instances, he is seen to be relaxed as he spends more time with others in the group. This is a clear indication that he is gradually getting used to living with others.

Punch was born last July but had to be taken care of by zookeepers after he failed to get any attention from his mother. When he was later taken to the monkey enclosure earlier this year, he was provided with a soft toy to ensure that he felt safe as he got used to living in a new place.

According to Kosuke Shikano, a zookeeper at this particular zoo, it is a norm for a baby Japanese macaque to be near its mother in order to feel safe and get some strength. However, in this case, Punch failed to get this kind of attention from his mother and later ended up choosing a long-limbed orangutan plush toy.

“This stuffed animal has relatively long hair and several easy places to hold,” Shikano said in a video, that has been surfacing on social media.

“We thought that its resemblance to a monkey might help Punch integrate back into the troop later on, and that’s why we chose it.”

Punch is often spotted carrying this toy, even though it is quite big compared to him. This is one of the reasons many people have come to follow his progress.

Some fans were worried about him after seeing a video where an older monkey scolded him, but the zoo later reassured fans that this is normal while young monkeys are learning how to behave.

Explore the latest trends and tips in Health & Fitness, Spiritual, Travel, Life Hacks, Trending, Fashion & Beauty, and Relationships at Times Life!