JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
A super-cute baby monkey clinging to a stuffed animal for comfort caught the internet's eye last month. The little Japanese macaque is named Punch. His mother abandoned him, so the zoo where Punch lives in Japan gave him a stuffed orangutan to simulate a mother's presence.
SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
The zoo says Punch hugs his stuffie for comfort and protection. And comfort and protection is just what he needed, judging by how the other macaques in his enclosure were at first treating him.
(SOUNDBITE OF MACAQUES SCREECHING)
DETROW: Videos on social media showed bigger monkeys dragging Punch through the dirt or pushing the little guy away when he went in for a snuggle. And the internet couldn't handle it.
(SOUNDBITE OF MONTAGE)
FOODGOTMEWASTED: I have no more tears left to cry. I just want to hold that poor little baby.
MATT BELLASSAI: Oh, it's just a monkey going through the worst ordeal.
HEARTTHROBERT: The monkeys were like, no, no, no, we like Punch, hoping we would, like, somehow go away or something. No, we're watching.
SUMMERS: That's TikTok user Foodgotmewasted, followed by Matt Bellassai and Heartthrobert. All that internet attention also led to throngs of visitors at the zoo, like Itskatesteinberg.
(SOUNDBITE OF TIKTOK VIDEO)
ITSKATESTEINBERG: Don't judge us. We came all the way from LA to see Punch.
SUMMERS: Even the K-pop star Lisa from Blackpink paid Punch a visit over the weekend.
DETROW: And if you, too, have been following all of this monkey drama, don't worry. We have some good news. Punch is making strides in his macaque society. The AP reported last week he's been using his toy less, and he's been sitting with adults, even getting groomed and, yes, getting hugged.
SUMMERS: The zoo says it expects that as Punch grows up, he'll someday say goodbye to his stuffie altogether, just like little humans do.
DETROW: Some. Not all.
SUMMERS: I'm not giving mine up.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
