By now, you've likely seen videos of Punch-kun the baby Japanese macaque, affectionately known as Punch. When the tiny monkey was born in July, 2025, he was
heartbreakingly rejected by his mother -- something that isn't uncommon for monkeys that are first time mothers, under stress, or for myriad other reasons.
So zookeepers at his home zoo of Ichikawa City Zoo gave Punch a stuffed orangutan to serve as a comforting proxy. Videos of punch dragging, hugging, and grooming the stuffed animal that is twice his size quickly went viral, and the world watched as Punch navigated the fiercely difficult social dynamics of his macaque troop without his mother.
While the internet has watched Punch and cheered him on, what we're witnessing isn't just an inspiring story of a little monkey --
it's a cautionary tale of the dark life animals are subjected to in zoos.Sign the petition demanding that the Ichikawa City Zoo send Punch and his fellow macaques to a reputable sanctuary where they can live the lives they truly deserve! Distracted by the compelling narrative of a baby monkey's perseverance, you might not notice right away that
Punch and his fellow macaques are living in a barren wasteland -- their "Monkey Mountain" enclosure is all concrete and stone. There are no plants or trees. Nothing that one would expect to find in a macaque's natural forest habitats.
Japan's animal welfare laws are infamously lacking by international standards -- in fact, there is
no legislation at all related specifically to zoos like the one Punch lives in! That means there is no process for assessing and ensuring that a zoo is treating the animals there well, l
eaving huge loopholes for abuse, exploitation, and cruelty in the name of profit.Japan is also known for its
animal cafes, where
wild animals like otters, capybaras, and owls are put in high stress situations just for people's entertainment. Unfortunately, since Punch has gone viral, the Ichikawa City Zoo has seen massive waves of visitors, which only feeds into the cycle of more animals being bred for cruel captivity and entertainment.
If the Ichikawa City Zoo really cared about Punch, it would do what is actually best for his survival and adjustment and send him and his troop to a sanctuary where they could be given enrichment, proper habitat, and kept far from disruptive, distressing crowds of people.
Sign the petition and implore Takashi Yasunaga, Head of Ichikawa's Zoo and Botanical Gardens to actually prioritize Punch's happiness and send him and his troop to a sanctuary!Photo courtesy of IchiKawa City Zoo via X (@ichikawa_zoo)