The "Punch" fever has not died down. Recently, the little monkey at a Japanese zoo celebrated his first birthday, receiving more than 2,500 greeting cards from fans both inside and outside Japan.
"Punch," the young Japanese macaque who became viral online for hugging an orangutan doll instead of his mother, has turned one year old. The Ichikawa City Zoo and Botanical Garden in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, held a birthday exhibition showcasing over 2,500 greeting cards and messages from fans displayed on the wall for visitors to celebrate.
Takashi Yasunaga, the zoo director, said that although a year has passed, the image of Punch's struggle to survive remains vivid in the minds of all staff. Currently, Punch no longer hugs the orangutan doll and has grown so much that he is nearly indistinguishable from the other monkeys in the troop. He now spends time playing and socializing normally with his monkey friends.
Punch was born on 26 July last year but was immediately abandoned by his mother. Staff believe the mother monkey may have been exhausted from giving birth and unable to care for her baby.
Zoo staff took on the responsibility of closely caring for Punch, giving him an orangutan doll to hug. This helped him develop his grip strength and clinging instincts, essential survival skills for a newborn monkey.
At about six months old, Punch was introduced to live with over 50 other monkeys in the enclosure. This was the most challenging time because the other monkeys initially rejected the newcomer.
Whenever other monkeys chased him away, Punch would quickly run back to hug his beloved doll for comfort. These scenes were shared by the zoo on social media in February and quickly went viral, inspiring the hashtag #HangInTherePunch. Fans used the hashtag to send encouragement to the little monkey. Punch’s charm lies not only in his cuteness but also in his story of struggle and determination to gain acceptance from the troop, which has touched many hearts.
Source:channelnewsasia
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