"I expect Punch will be under careful observation by the keepers, and it sounds like they are trying various approaches to find a way to keep Punch in the group, which is best practice. If it looks like he is at risk of physical harm he would be removed from the group. As macaques are highly social intelligent primates this would be the last resort, only if he were deemed to be at risk of physical harm."
"Having been abandoned by his mother and the social group more broadly he has missed key developmental opportunities to learn appropriate social behaviours that would help him to navigate the hierarchical social world of macaques. At 6 months old a wild macaque would still be somewhat reliant on the mother for comfort, nutrition and opportunities to learn about social behaviour."
"Japanese macaques are female-bonded and males typicaly migrate out of the social group at sexual maturity. There is evidence that"
Punch, a seven-month-old Japanese macaque born at Ichikawa Zoo, was rejected by his mother and formed an attachment to a stuffed orangutan toy. After brief comfort from another macaque, he was rejected again aggressively. Dr. Emily Bethell explains that zookeepers monitor Punch carefully and attempt various approaches to keep him integrated with the group. Physical separation occurs only if he faces harm risk. The primary concern is long-term psychological damage from social isolation, as Punch missed critical developmental opportunities to learn appropriate social behaviors. His male gender provides an advantage, as Japanese macaques are female-bonded societies where males typically migrate at sexual maturity, potentially offering Punch future social integration opportunities.
Read at Mail Online
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