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.
