Baby monkey abandoned by mother finds comfort in cuddly orangutan toy

A baby monkey who was abandoned by his mother has found a new companion in a beloved cuddly orangutan toy. Viral footage taken by onlookers shows Punch, a six-month-old baby macaque from Japan, clinging to the stuffed animal at Ichikawa City Zoo. He can also be seen dragging the toy around the enclosure he shares with a group of other macques. Local news has reported that the toy has become a “surrogate mother” to Punch, who was rejected by his biological parents shortly after he was born in July. He has since been raised by zookeepers, who have fed and cared for him. One keeper, Kosuke Shikano, told local media that Punch can be ostracised by the other animals but that he is “mentally strong”.