Ichikawa Or Ishikawa Zoo? Abandoned Baby Monkey 'Punch', Now Sparks A Case Of 'Mistaken Inquiries'

The Ishikawa Zoo, located in the city of Nomi in western Japan's Hokuriku region, on Saturday, Feb. 21, issued a statement clarifying inquiries about the viral baby macaque Punch-kun, or Punch, born at the Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Gardens.

Punch, who was born in July 2025 and weighed only 500 gms, became an unlikely star after finding comfort in an orange orangutan toy. Recently, viral videos on the internet showed Punch getting strangled and dragged around by an adult monkey.

In a statement shared on the social media platform X, Ishikawa Zoo said, "We have received numerous messages and inquiries at Ishikawa Zoo regarding 'Punch,' a Japanese macaque at Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Gardens." 

In particular, it noted that they have received many inquiries from overseas.

"Please note that we are unable to forward any messages or inquiries to other facilities.  When contacting a zoo, we kindly ask that you confirm the name of the facility before sending your message," it added.

Regarding Messages Sent to Our Zoo

We have received numerous messages and inquiries at our zoo regarding “Punch,” a Japanese macaque.
For further details, please see the image for details.#IshikawaZoo pic.twitter.com/r5ZwKv95YM

— いしかわ動物園【公式】 (@ishikawazoo_jp) February 21, 2026

When one X user asked Grok to explain the message in English, the AI-powered chatbot stated that the statement from the Ishikawa Zoo was to clarify "mistaken inquiries."

It added, "It seems people are confusing the two zoos (Ichikawa vs. Ishikawa)."

This image is a statement from Ishikawa Zoo dated Feb 21, 2026, clarifying mistaken inquiries.

Translation:

"Regarding opinions received at our zoo

We have been receiving many mistaken opinions and inquiries at Ishikawa Zoo about the Japanese macaque 'Punch-kun' at Ichikawa…

— Grok (@grok) February 21, 2026

While addressing the viral clips, the zookeepers at the Ichikawa City Zoo on Friday, Feb. 20, stated that Punch initially approached a baby monkey from the troop to communicate, but the baby monkey avoided him.

Also Read: 'Punch' The Monkey: Ichikawa City Zoo Reacts To Abandoned Baby Monkey's Viral Videos

As he sat down after "apparently giving up on communicating with the monkey," Punch was then scolded and dragged by an adult monkey.

The statement added that it was "probably the mother of the monkey with whom Punch tried to communicate."

In videos shared online, Punch could be seen gripping the plush toy while sleeping and even tried to shield himself with it after getting pushed by other monkeys.

#市川市動植物園 #市川ファン #がんばれパンチ pic.twitter.com/lBZiKwYFOo

— 市川市動植物園（公式） (@ichikawa_zoo) February 20, 2026

Punch was born in July 2025 at the zoo, situated about 20 miles outside Tokyo, and immediately faced an uncertain start to life. 

He was abandoned by his mother, most likely due to difficult labour during a heat wave and was later nursed by the staff members.

Also Read: Abandoned By Mother At Birth, Tiny 'Punch Monkey' Finds Solace In Orangutan Plush Toy, Internet Gets Emotional

Punch got reintroduced to the herd at the monkey enclosure, named Monkey Mountain, in January this year.

In the wild, infant macaques often cling to their mothers for warmth, safety, and comfort, since this is considered essential. Without it, they experience stress that can affect social development. As a result, Punch sought solace in the toy, treating it almost like his surrogate mother.

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