{"id":319958,"date":"2026-04-17T05:55:02","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T00:25:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=319958"},"modified":"2026-04-17T05:55:03","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T00:25:03","slug":"yuji-wont-let-go-of-his-toy-dog-after-his-mum-rejected-him-at-mexico-zoo-news-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/04\/17\/yuji-wont-let-go-of-his-toy-dog-after-his-mum-rejected-him-at-mexico-zoo-news-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Yuji won&#8217;t let go of his toy dog after his mum rejected him at Mexico zoo | News World"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"video-player\">\n<div class=\"video-player\">\n<div class=\"metro-video-player  \" data-track-module=\"article_video-player-with-related-carousel\">\n<div class=\"vjs-video-container vjs-fixed vjs-responsive\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<video id=\"3636875\" class=\"video-js\" 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baby patas monkey at a Mexican zoo has been given a stuffed teddy bear for comfort after its inexperienced mother was unable to care for it, zoo officials said.nnThe monkey, named Yuji, was born in early March in the western state of Jalisco, and has been in the care of the Guadalajara Zoo's Integral Centre of Animal Medicine and Wellbeing.\",\"title\":\"Mexican zoo's baby monkey bonds with cuddly plush companion\",\"videoId\":3636875}\" preload=\"metadata\" playsinline=\"\"><source src=\"https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2026\/04\/16\/425969237887596324\/480x270_MP4_425969237887596324.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\"><\/source><\/p>\n<p class=\"vjs-no-js\">To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to an internet<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tbrowser that<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/videojs.com\/html5-video-support\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">supports HTML5<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tvideo<\/a><\/p><\/video>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Meet Yuji, the child monkey that has already stolen your heart.<\/p>\n<p>The six-week old patas monkey wakes up every single day clinging to a stuffed dog after his own mother rejected him in Guadalajara Zoo, in Mexico.<\/p>\n<p>The bond together with his recent best friend, who also acts as a surrogate mum, has captured the globe\u2019s attention after drawing parallels to Punch , the Japanese macaque that was being bullied by his clan and sought refuge with a stuffed orangutan.<\/p>\n<p>Yuji, weighing just 1.4 kilos, is simply too small to be introduced to other monkeys so lives inside a monkey crate where he&#8217;s under round the clock care of 12 vets.<\/p>\n<p>No date has been set for Yuji\u2019s transfer to a habitat shared by 12 other adult patas monkeys and three other infants. <\/p>\n<p>That may rely upon when he&#8217;s weaned from a milk-only eating regimen and starts an adult eating regimen complete with fruit and veggies, said veterinarian Iv\u00e1n Reynoso Ruiz, head of the primate section on the Guadalajara Zoo. <\/p>\n<div class=\"factbox\" data-ico=\"factbox_article\" data-track-module=\"factbox_article\">\n<h2 class=\"factbox-title\">\n\t\t\t\tEnroll for all of the newest stories\t\t\t<\/h2>\n<div class=\"factbox-content\">\n<p>Start your day informed with Metro&#8217;s <strong>News Updates<\/strong> newsletter or get <strong>Breaking News <\/strong>alerts the moment it happens. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t\t<\/div><figcaption>Never let me go: Yuji is stealing hearts after being abandoned by his mother (Picture: REUTERS)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"969\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SEI_293318221-dd57.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;w=646\" class=\"article-image wp-image-27994777\" alt=\"A veterinarian holds Yuji, a patas monkey (Erythrocebus patas) born in early March, being cared for at the Guadalajara Zoo's Integral Centre of Animal Medicine and Wellbeing (CIMBA) after his mother was unable to care for him, as he clings to a plush dog, in Guadalajara, Mexico, April 15, 2026. REUTERS\/Michelle Freyria\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\">\t<\/div><figcaption>Yuji, a tiny patas monkey, clings to an opulent dog(Picture: REUTERS)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>That might occur when Yuji is around 6 months old, he said.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Yuji rejected<\/h2>\n<p>Just hours after giving birth on March 3 Yuji\u2019s mother Kamaria began exhibiting irregular behavior. She struggled to carry her firstborn appropriately, leaving the infant unable to secure a grip on its mother.<\/p>\n<p>After noticing an issue, keepers separated the mother from her newborn, who weighed just 443 grams (lower than a pound) and required immediate placement in an incubator at CIMBA to stabilize his temperature and safeguard his health, Reynoso Ruiz said.<\/p>\n<p>This was the beginning of the infant\u2019s assisted rearing, a process often utilized by zoos to guard the health and development of at-risk offspring. A caregiver named him Yuji after a well-liked Japanese manga character.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"439\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SEI_293315500-2a6f.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;w=646\" class=\"article-image wp-image-27994788\" alt=\"A veterinarian holds Yuji, a patas monkey (Erythrocebus patas) born in early March, being cared for at the Guadalajara Zoo's Integral Centre of Animal Medicine and Wellbeing (CIMBA) after his mother was unable to care for him, as he clings to a plush dog, in Guadalajara, Mexico, April 15, 2026. REUTERS\/Michelle Freyria\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\">\t<\/div><figcaption>Yuji won\u2019t let go of your heart or his toy dog (Picture: REUTERS)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>During his first few weeks, Yuji was under round the clock supervision and was bottle-fed fortified milk.<\/p>\n<p>From the beginning, Yuji was given a stuffed animal for comfort. Reynoso Ruiz explained that the toy fulfills the role of a mother by serving as his primary source of security. To keep up hygiene, staff rotate the unique stuffed dog with two other toys \u2014 a bear and a monkey \u2014 to make sure he at all times has a clean companion.<\/p>\n<p>To stimulate his development, caregivers outfitted Yuji\u2019s crate with a small hammock and ropes. As he began gaining weight and sleeping for longer intervals, his team adjusted his feeding schedule. Yuji now receives the primary of his 4 day by day bottles at 7:00 a.m.<\/p>\n<p>While the stories of Punch and Yuji have been popular on social media, some animal rights advocates oppose the practice of assisted rearing.<\/p>\n<p>Diana Valencia, an animal rights activist, argues that there isn&#8217;t any substitute for a natural habitat, and that animals \u2018have the correct to be born, grow, develop, and die where they belong.\u2019<\/p>\n<section id=\"share-buttons-bottom\" class=\"share-buttons share-buttons-bottom\"><a class=\"metro-button share-bar-comments\" data-vars-position=\"bottom\" href=\"#metro-comments-container\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span><svg><title>Comment now<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#social-comment\" href=\"#social-comment\"><\/use><\/svg><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"share-bar-comments__label\">Comments<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span><svg><title>Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#social-preferred-source\" href=\"#social-preferred-source\"><\/use><\/svg><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"share-bar-preferred-source__label\">Add as preferred source<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/section>\n<div class=\"newsletter-end-card accent--news\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-end-card__inner\">\n<h4>News Updates<\/h4>\n<p>Stay on top of the headlines with day by day email updates.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":319959,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20691],"tags":[1419,3400,12882,395,7447,1406,3204,813,6899,20833],"class_list":["post-319958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world","tag-dog","tag-mexico","tag-mum","tag-news","tag-rejected","tag-toy","tag-wont","tag-world","tag-yuji","tag-zoo"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/319958","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=319958"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/319958\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":319961,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/319958\/revisions\/319961"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/319959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=319958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=319958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=319958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}