How Punch the Monkey Captured the Hearts of Artists
A baby macaque and his ever-present stuffed orangutan at a Japanese zoo have inspired fan art worldwide, from illustration to embroidery to memes.
In case the current state of the world isn't enough to make you cry, a Japanese zoo has introduced its own tearjerker: Punch, the abandoned baby macaque who's emotionally attached to a stuffed orangutan that keeps him company. From the Ichikawa City Zoo, Punch has stolen hearts and launched fan art internationally as the internet observes him cuddling his plushie in various photo and video updates.
Punch was born at the zoo last summer and promptly abandoned by his mother, resulting in the zookeepers hand-rearing him. They provided him with towels and stuffed animals to cling onto for comfort and to promote muscle growth, as baby monkeys would normally do with their mothers, and Punch was especially fond of the orangutan toy. In an interview, the zookeepers said that the toy was essentially Punch's “surrogate mother.”
When they facilitated his integration into the troop of macaques residing in the monkey enclosure in January, Punch brought the stuffed orangutan with him and held it for comfort as he started slowly interacting with the others. The zoo and its visitors shared regular updates of Punch moving around with the toy and laying on it — an equally precious and devastating sight.
Artists and illustrators have been inspired by his overwhelming sweetness, cutting through the cute aggression and (potentially) hyperbolic protectiveness of others with lovingly rendered iterations of Punch and his stuffed orangutan in various styles.
The photos and videos have triggered everyone's maternal instincts online as increasingly fervent messages encouraging the shy monkey pour in on Instagram and X. Videos of the other monkeys bothering and pushing Punch around have circulated online as well, eliciting feelings of profound protectiveness as he runs back to his stuffed animal for safety and comfort.
Creators celebrate Punch's bravery and steadfastness as he keeps trying to nestle into the new group of macaques while still being himself, ultimately showing how we all empathize with the little monkey.
But as Punch's story unfolds, we can start to rest easy knowing that his hard work and perseverance is starting to pay off. The zoo has shared some photos and videos of the other macaques involving Punch in their groups, playing nicely with him, cuddling him, and doing some mutual grooming.
In its relatability, Punch's heartbreaking situation has also given way to plenty of memes ...
Last year, we had to be brave like Tiki, the painfully shy rescue dog. This year, we need to keep being brave like baby Punch. The key message here is to be patient and keep trying.
