- Title: Punch 'gradually integrating' as visitors brave rain to see famous monkey
- Date: 26th March 2026
- Summary: ICHIKAWA, CHIBA PREFECTURE, JAPAN (MARCH 26, 2026) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) HEAD OF ICHIKAWA CITY ZOO AND GARDENS DIVISION, TAKASHI YASUNAGA, SAYING: “When so many people's eyes are focused on the monkey enclosure, the monkeys get stressed. And then there are also issues like long waiting times at the entrance gates. These are all challenges that the zoo has to add
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- Keywords: Ichikawa City Zoo Japan Punch animals macaque monkey zoo
- Location: ICHIKAWA, CHIBA PREFECTURE, JAPAN
- City: ICHIKAWA, CHIBA PREFECTURE, JAPAN
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Celebrities,Arts/Culture/Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA003748726032026RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Punch the famous baby Japanese macaque is outgrowing his iconic plush orangutan and “gradually integrating” with his counterparts, Ichikawa City Zoo staff said on Thursday (March 26).
“Recently, he has started to actively approach the other monkeys on his own, trying to communicate with them, and actually playing together with them. We’ve been seeing many more scenes like that, and as caretakers, we find that very encouraging,” Takashi Yasunaga, head of Ichikawa Zoo and gardens division, told Reuters.
Zoo staff fitted Punch with a “substitute” plush orangutan after his mother abandoned him when he was born eight months ago. The plush toy filled a needed gap, as Japanese baby macaques often cling to their mothers to build muscle strength for a sense of security.
Around two months have passed since Punch and the orange plush toy went viral, and the crowds of visitors have increased greatly, prompting the zoo to hire extra staff and formulate new rules for crowd control, and to reduce any possible stress for Punch and his fellow macaques in the enclosure.
“When so many people's eyes are focused on the monkey enclosure, the monkeys get stressed… We’ve established viewing rules around the monkey area, increased staff numbers to help guide and manage the flow of visitors,” Yasunaga added.
Many foreign tourists were among the dozens of visitors who braved heavy rainfall to catch a glimpse of Japan’s celebrity macaque. But some visitors like 28-year-old Mariko Aikawa just wanted to see Punch clutching his plushy.
“I guess it's a sign of him growing up, or maybe he's becoming more independent, but I was kind of looking forward to seeing Punch with the plush toy, so that's a little disappointing,” said Aikawa, an Ichikawa city resident.
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