The plight of Punch, a baby Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata) at Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan, who has become a global online sensation, is being used by animal advocates to expose the inherent cruelty of zoos.
Punch, born in July 2025 and abandoned by his mother “as soon as he was born,” has been raised by staff in an artificial environment and given a stuffed orangutan toy for companionship. His story went viral after he was filmed clinging to the plush IKEA orangutan while being bullied by other monkeys in a concrete enclosure, images which rapidly spread under the hashtag #HangInTherePunch and drew large crowds to the zoo. The Swedish interiors company reported “unprecedented” interest in the toy, with stock running out in Japan and the US.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has condemned the situation as a clear example of captivity’s harms. PETA said, “Zoos are not sanctuaries — they are places where animals are confined, deprived of autonomy, and denied the complex environments and social lives they would have in the wild… What some are calling ‘cute’ is actually a glimpse into the trauma of a young, highly social primate coping with isolation and loss.” PETA’s Asia director, Jason Baker, added, “Until facilities stop treating sentient beings as attractions, animals like Punch will continue to suffer in captivity,” and called for Punch to be sent to a “reputable sanctuary, where he could live in a more natural environment.”
A widely shared video has intensified concern. In it, the six‑month‑old Punch is dragged around the concrete enclosure by a large adult monkey, before he runs back to clutch his toy, while onlookers gasp. Vegan FTA is another animal rights group who is campaigning to release Punch from the zoo, noting that, in nature, macaques would climb and rest in trees, socialise, form bonds, forage, and explore their habitats on their own terms, but in captivity, they are deprived of almost everything they need to thrive and to make meaningful choices for themselves.
TAKE ACTION: Punch deserves more than a dismal life in a concrete enclosure where his suffering is on display for profit. Please add your signature here to ask Ichikawa City Zoo to release Punch (and any of the other monkeys who may adopt him) to a reputable animal sanctuary specializing in the care of these macaques, where he can experience safety, care, and a life on his own terms in an environment better suited to his needs.
