"He has been filmed multiple times being dragged and chased by older Japanese macaques inside the enclosure. Early clips showed him wandering alone with the toy after being pushed away by other monkeys, and clutching it tightly while being harassed. Viewers were briefly relieved when later videos emerged of another monkey grooming and comforting him. However, just days later, new footage showed Punch once again being targeted this time dragged aggressively in a circle by a much larger monkey."
"In Punch's case, their mother was a first-time mother, indicating inexperience. Zookeepers also suggest Punch was born during a heatwave, which would be a high stress environment. In environments where survival is threatened from outside stress, mothers may prioritise their own health and future reproduction rather than continue to care for an infant whose health may be compromised by those environmental conditions."
Punch is a Japanese macaque born last July at Ichikawa Zoo who was abandoned by his mother and has been repeatedly bullied by older macaques in the enclosure. Zookeepers provided a stuffed orangutan toy after his abandonment, and Punch has used the toy for comfort while integrating without maternal guidance. Viral videos show him being dragged, chased and pushed away, sometimes wandering alone and clutching the toy, and briefly being groomed by another monkey before further aggressive targeting. Experts note maternal abandonment can occur due to inexperience, age, health issues or environmental stressors such as heatwaves, which may cause mothers to prioritise their own survival and future reproduction.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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