During the Winter Olympics, while Americans were cheering for Americans, Norwegians were cheering for Norwegians, and Germans were cheering for Germans, people of all nationalities were cheering for a little monkey named Punch.
The 7-month-old macaque monkey was having trouble making friends with his fellow monkeys at Ichikawa City Zoo, outside Tokyo. Abandoned by his mother, he was nursed by zookeepers before they returned him to his troop in the monkey enclosure. But Punch had trouble integrating with the troop. His plight was captured in a series of videos that went viral and made Punch an internet celebrity, so famous that Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton sought his endorsement.
One early video showed Punch being dragged around by an adult monkey before seeking comfort in the arms of the only creature that was always there for him: a stuffed orangutan from IKEA.
The youngster’s struggle to fit into monkey society tugged at the heartstrings of millions of people around the world, many eager to take the next flight to Tokyo to rescue him.
As one woman wrote on X, “I’ve had enough. My mission in life now is to rescue Punch from the horrible monkeys he’s with and make him my baby. He is going to be my baby, even if I have to shave him to enroll him in school.”
But Punch did not need to be rescued. As the videos showed, Punch was gradually making it in the monkey world. The zoo released a statement on Punch’s welfare, noting that Punch had been scolded many times by adult monkeys, but none had shown “serious aggression” toward him. “While Punch is scolded, he shows resilience and mental strength,” the zoo said.
In an effort to allay the concerns of people around the world, the zoo allowed me to conduct a 15-minute Zoom interview with Punch using an AI-powered tool called PTPCS (Primate to Primate Communication System).
Me: “Punch, do you realize what a celebrity you have become?”
Punch: “I did not realize it — until L’Oréal asked me if I wanted to endorse their shampoo. They were going to create a special line of full-body shampoo.”
Me: “Did you accept the deal?”
Punch: “No. It’s against zoo rules. There’s a sign that says, ‘No monkey business.’”
Me: “How did you get the name Punch?”
Punch: “It’s what my mom and dad were drinking when they met at a party.”
Me: “I hope this question isn’t too personal. Is it true that your mother abandoned you?”
Punch: “She didn’t abandon me. She donated me. She said, ‘Punch, you belong to the world now.’”
Me: “The world loves you, Punch. That’s why there are long lines of people at the zoo. How do you feel about that?”
Punch: “I am happy that our fellow primates are coming to watch us and learn from us.”
Me: “What do you think they can learn from you?”
Punch: “They can learn how to get along with other primates. You have to be resilient. One primate may drag you around, but another primate will lift you up. The primate that dragged you around will show up the next day to scratch your back. We are all just primates after all. Even the orange primate is just a primate.”
Me: “You are very attached to the orange primate, aren’t you?”
Punch: “Actually, I had never heard of the orange primate — until he called me and said, ‘I want to invite you to the White House.’”
Me: “Oh, I thought you were talking about the stuffed orangutan.”
Punch: “Stuffed? That’s not a nice thing to say.”
