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Punch, the little monkey who was abandoned by his mother, appears to have been accepted by his troop of monkeys in Japan.
Heartbreaking photos of the little macaque clinging onto an Ikea stuffed monkey toy for company went viral last week.
Born in July last 12 months, Punch has been raised by zookeepers at Ichikawa City Zoo since birth, hand feeding and caring for him.
But because young macaques cling to their mums from the time they’re born, staff needed to intervene and offer other objects for Punch to cuddle.
Punch has had a rough begin to life, with footage of other monkeys in his enclosure bullying him and dragging him around.
Every time, he ran back to his beloved orange plush, clinging to it for safety and luxury.
It appears the tide could be turning for little Punch, though, after one adult monkey named Onsing hugged him tightly.
Onsing also helped Punch climb up a rocky a part of the enclosure, which the little macaque seemed very grateful for.
When a loud noise got here from the opposite side of the enclosure, Punch cuddled as much as his recent friend for defense.
He’s still facing some bullying from other members of his troop, however the zoo has said Punch is showing great progress.
‘While Punch is scolded, he shows mental strength and resilience,’ they said.
In Japan, the hashtag ‘HangInTherePunch’ began to trend as images of the little guy flow into.
Zookeper Kosuke Shikano, 24, told Mainichi: ‘The stuffed animal was a surrogate mother to him.’
Punch, born last July, has develop into an online sensation, with the cute photos of him dragging his little stuffed animal going viral online.
Primatology expert Alison Behie told the Guardian he was likely abandoned by his mum attributable to inexperience.
‘Zookeepers also suggest Punch was born during a heatwave, which can be a high-stress environment,’ she said.
‘In environments where survival is threatened by outside stress, moms may prioritise their very own health and future reproduction fairly than proceed to look after an infant whose health could also be compromised by those environmental conditions.’
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