"I Have a Girlfriend Now"...Baby Monkey in Japan Once Abandoned and Ostracized Finds a Companion

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[The Financial News] A baby monkey at a Japanese zoo, who was abandoned by his mother and could not fit in with the troop, relying instead on a stuffed toy, is now showing a remarkable change as he begins to make new friends, according to recent reports.
On the 17th (local time), outlets including the UK’s Daily Mail reported that Punch, a monkey living at Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba Prefecture, was recently spotted spending time with a female monkey named Momo-chan.
In a video shared on social media and cited by Daily Mail, Punch and Momo-chan can be seen chasing each other, playing together, and staying close. The scenes of Punch clinging to a stuffed toy in place of his mother are nowhere to be found.
Punch, a male monkey born last July, was rejected when his mother refused to care for him and subsequently struggled to adapt to the rest of the troop. Taking into account that baby monkeys in Japan normally cling to their mothers for a sense of security after birth, zookeepers gave Punch an orangutan doll sold by IKEA to serve as a substitute mother.
Zookeepers later filmed Punch snuggling into the doll’s arms as if it were his mother, even sleeping there and refusing to leave its side at mealtimes. After they posted the footage on their X (formerly Twitter) account, it drew intense interest from internet users around the world.
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As Punch’s story spread, IKEA Japan visited the zoo and donated 33 stuffed toys, including orangutan dolls, and seven storage items for Punch and young visitors.
Recently, Punch has gradually begun to mingle with other monkeys. He has been observed sitting next to or climbing onto not only peers his own age but also adult monkeys. At the same time, his dependence on the stuffed toy has decreased. One social media user who regularly shares videos of Punch’s daily life posted an update titled "On a date today," highlighting how much he has changed.
 
The zoo believes Punch is naturally developing social skills as he grows.
Director Shigekazu Mizushina stated, "It is a desirable process for him to move away from the stuffed toy and develop independence," and, addressing some claims that Punch was being bullied, explained, "The behavior of the other monkeys is not aggression but a form of disciplinary behavior based on the hierarchy within the group."
He added, "We will continue to monitor Punch so that he can grow up healthy as a member of the troop," noting, "We are well aware of the public’s concerns."
y27k@fnnews.com Seo Yoon-kyung Reporter