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Punch the Monkey is a Viral Star, but Does his Internet Fame Have a Dark Side?

Animal rights activists say that viral online content about animals like ‘Punch-kun’ has the potential to drive the illegal wildlife trade. 

IKEA’s Djungelskog orangutan stuffed toy, which was made famous by the baby macaque ‘Punch-kun’ at the Ichikawa City Zoo.

Seven-month-old monkey Punch has become an unexpected viral sensation after footage of the baby macaque showed him clinging to a stuffed orangutan toy given to him by staff at Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan in February.

Punch-kun, as he is known in Japan, was abandoned by his mother last year and zookeepers sourced an alternative to the usual mother-child bond, giving him the orangutan plushie instead. This elicited widespread sympathy online and spawned the hashtag #HangInTherePunch.

Since then, social media users have followed daily updates about his struggles and triumphs, with sympathy turning to concern after new footage emerged of Punch being allegedly bullied by other members of the macaque troop, including the sweet primate being dragged around his enclosure by feisty older monkeys.

For their part, keepers at the zoo have tried to downplay the rough interactions, issuing a statement describing them as a normal part of the integration process and urging calm from Punch’s supporters.

“Please support Punch’s efforts. While Punch is scolded, he shows mental strength and resilience”, the zoo said in an unprecedented press release.

According to reports, hundreds of visitors have been visiting Punch daily, shouting messages of support.

“I studied his pictures in advance, so that I could recognize him,” one super-fan said.

Why are we so obsessed with Punch?

“While the story is simple, its emotional impact is profound,” The Better Cambodia explained.

“People see in Punch not just an animal seeking comfort, but a reflection of a shared experience that crosses cultures and species. His journey has become a gentle reminder that loneliness is not confined to humans, and that the desire to belong is one of life’s most fundamental needs.”

Across the globe, Punch has spawned myriad similarly soul-searching articles from “We are all Punch the monkey” to “Why Punch the monkey updates, rejection hit us so hard.”

Back in Japan, due to the ongoing daily crowds, the zoo has had to designate a no-go zone at the macaque viewing area so that the animals do not get unduly stressed by the constant noise and visitors. All this raises questions about whether Punch’s fame could be becoming a double-edged sword.

Where once this was a story of plucky Punch’s plight integrating into the wider macaque troop, now there are questions about animal rights, the outdated role of zoos, and fears that Punch could suffer the same fate as other viral animal stars like Moo Deng, the pygmy hippopotamus in Thailand who endured a similar meteoric rise to fame only to become increasingly mired in scandal.

Moo Deng, which means “bouncy pork” in Thai, shot to fame in 2024 due to her upbeat personality and wide smile, which was captured on video by visitors to her home at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi, Thailand. Dubbed “the people’s pygmy princess,” she was described as a “moist, ungovernable hippo” who combined “the aesthetic of a potato and the iron will of a toddler.”

Amongst her other claims to fame, Moo........

© The Diplomat