Zoo releases statement after viral monkey abandoned by mum is attacked in shocking footage
Anyone who's spent any time online in the last few days has probably spotted the viral videos of a baby monkey and his stuffed toy.
It sounds pretty cute at first, and Punch the young Japanese macaque at the Ichikawa City Zoo certainly has got plenty of admirers, but the reason behind his recent fame extends further than his friendship with his stuffed toy.
If the Harambe tragedy wasn't bad enough, monkey fans across the world have been forced to watch on, completely powerless, as Punch has been abandoned by his mother and bullied by other primates in the zoo.
Although he has found some solace in his orangutan stuffed toy, which he seemingly carries with him everywhere he goes, his desperate attempts to fit in and make friends are heartbreakingly proving to be fruitless.
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Even the most stoic souls would struggle not to shed a tear for the six-month-old, and now Ichikawa City Zoo has issued a statement about the welfare of Punch as he continues to break hearts on the internet.
They said: "We have confirmed that several videos have gone viral on the internet. When Punch approached another baby monkey from the troop in attempt to communicate, the baby monkey avoided him. Punch then sat down, apparently giving up on communicating with the monkey, after which he was scolded and dragged by an adult monkey.
"The adult monkey that dragged Punch is probably the mother of the monkey with whom Punch tried to communicate. She probably felt that her baby was annoyed by Punch and got upset, expressing "don't be mean."
"Punch has been scolded by other monkeys many times in the past and has learned how to socialise with them.
"In the video, Punch runs to his stuffed orangutan toy after being dragged. However, as usual, he left the stuffed toy after a short while and was communicating with other monkeys."
While we might see one picture on the internet, the zookeepers will have eyes on Punch nearly all the time, and they suggest that it's necessary to try and get the fluffy baby to integrate with others in the troop, and that we should simply try to support his efforts.
They added:"In order to integrate Punch into other Japanese monkey troops, we anticipated that this kind of challenge may arise. Although Punch has been scolded many times by other monkeys, no single monkey has shown serious aggression toward him.
"While Punch is scolded, he shows resilience and mental strength. When you observe these disciplinary behaviors from other troop members toward Punch when he tries to communicate with them, we would like you to support Punch's effort rather than feel sorry for him."
Good luck my sweet prince, everything is going to be ok. But if I see anymore bullying, I'm going to fly over to Japan and rescue you myself.
James Moorhouse