Punch Joins Primate Troop After Reliance on Stuffed Orangutan Toy

Hundreds of visitors gathered at the Ichikawa City Zoo to watch a young Japanese macaque named Punch integrate with his troop after months of reliance on a stuffed toy.The seven-month-old monkey became a global sensation following his abandonment by his mother, using a long-limbed plush orangutan as a surrogate for physical security.Supporters like Sayaka Takimoto and Yoko observed as Punch made tentative social approaches and received grooming from adult members of the hierarchy.Zoo staff report that the macaque is showing significant mental strength despite being occasionally scolded by older monkeys during his ongoing socialization.