Punch is a macaque monkey living in the Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan. Beginning in February, he rapidly gained popularity on social media from videos of him being excluded by other groups of monkeys and carrying around a stuffed orangutan toy. What began as an online frenzy, however, has given rise to concerns of the consequences of animals in captivity.
Punch was born on July 26, 2025. He was abandoned by his mother and ostracized by the other monkeys in the enclosure, which is why he is always seen alone with his stuffed orangutan toy. New videos showing that he has been hanging out with other monkeys, however, have begun to diffuse concerns regarding his wellbeing.
“I don’t think that Punch should be moved to another zoo,” freshman Mason Gomez said. “I saw a video of him hugging another monkey so I think he will be okay.”
It is rare for a mother macaque to ever abandon its child. But in captivity, maternal inexperience can lead to this behavior, which indicates that the mother doesn’t have the necessary skills to raise a young monkey.
“I don’t feel like all animals should be in zoos,” Gomez said. “Some animals have conditions in the wild that can’t be matched in a zoo or in a cage.”
Videos of Punch being bullied have struck up concerns for his health, contributing to the ongoing debate regarding whether zoos should be banned. The Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN) has a program to help rebuild social skills for many abandoned macaque monkeys.
“I don’t think zoos should be banned,” Gomez said. “If they ban zoos, animals may not have a safe place to live in the case that their natural habitat is disappearing or it is becoming polluted or something like that.”
Macaque monkeys are very dependent on their mothers mainly for breastfeeding and learning how to respond to crises. When they don’t receive proper care, it becomes harder for a young monkey to become independent.
“I think most zoos are good for animals if they are endangered and their population is decreasing,” freshman Finley Brown said.
Because artificial environments may not live up to the needs of an animal’s diet or living conditions, captivity for many animals may not be the best for their health. Punch is an example of how these living conditions can be unfavorable for the mental health of animals.
“Overall, I think some zoos should be banned if they treat animals poorly,” Brown said. “But I think that some animals do need to be kept at zoos if they are endangered.”
