The viral phenomenon that is “Punch the Monkey” isn’t just some niche corner of “White People Twitter.” Let’s be clear: Black folks are just as deeply invested in this baby monkey’s health and safety as anyone else. We’ve been tracking his whereabouts at the Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan like it’s a missing person’s case, collectively side-eyeing his tribe and demanding they stop testing his gangster. Punch’s little life has been profiled on news shows and in publications worldwide and as we expected SNL got in the Punch business this weekend. But what appears to be a mere viral moment is, on these digital streets, a full-scale welfare check and the reason is pretty clear if you think about it:
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Right now, the world feels as gloomy as ever. With wars raging in the Middle East and Ukraine, the economy cutting 92,000 jobs last month alone and the weight of a “Black recession” hitting our community, we are all feeling like the world is constantly beating us down. In the midst of it all, we have seen our struggles reflected in Punch, the tiny, 7-month-old macaque at the Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan. He is bullied by his tribe before being loved by them again—the same exhausting cycle we feel stuck in.
Punch isn’t just a viral TikTok moment; he has become our collective heart. Many feel so protective of the monkey that they are ready to hop on a flight just to see him. We cannot stand to see him being pushed around by his environment anymore, and folks are ready to do something about it. However, if you don’t know Punch’s story, grab some tissues, because this one is a tearjerker.
Just A Tiny Monkey
As the internet describes the macaque, Punch is only “three apples tall,” the smallest monkey in his enclosure, abandoned by his mom and now cared for at the Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan.
Punch’s And His Ikea Plushie
Since he was abandoned by his mother and is often beaten, pushed around and even bitten by the other monkeys in the zoo’s enclosure, Punch has found comfort in an IKEA orangutan plushie given to him by his favorite zookeeper.
Punch’s Guardian Angels
Punch’s main source of comfort—outside of his plushie—are the two main zookeepers who take care of him. Caretakers Kosuke Shikano and Shumpei Miyakoshi often have to step in to stop the poor macaque from being harassed by his fellow monkeys.
Punch’s Only Friend
At times, Punch can be seen being cared for by another old monkey named Go-chan, who keeps a close eye on him. Yet it is not enough; although his tribe at times leaves him alone or even plays with him, sooner or later they go right back to bullying Punch again.
The Zookeeper Speaks
Speaking out about Punch’s treatment and his plushie, his caretaker Kosuke Shikano highlighted one of the important reasons they gave the baby macaque his orange IKEA orangutan.
“Baby Japanese macaques immediately cling to their mother’s body after birth to build muscle strength. They also get a sense of security through holding onto something. However, because he had been abandoned, Punch had nothing to grip onto,” he said. “We tried several options. We let him try holding different stuffed toys. We thought that it looking like a monkey might help Punch integrate back into the tribe later on; that’s why we chose it.”
Standing Up For Punch
On TikTok, Punch has a lot of folks who are ready to ride for him. One TikToker, @smoochllb, stated it clearly, saying: “What the f**k is wrong with y’all. Leave Punch the f**k alone. This is a message to all you monkeys in that f**king zoo. Leave him the f**k alone, or you’ll have to deal with me.”
Maybe There’s Something Wrong With Punch?
While most folks don’t understand why Punch is being bullied by his tribe, others wonder if there is something wrong with him. On “The Daily Show,” Jon Stewart stated: “Although, and no disrespect, but clearly there is probably something wrong with that f**king monkey.” Pushing his point further, Stewart asked, “Who are we to question the wisdom of the tribe?”
Punch Learns A New Skill
Other users have also noted that Punch might be slightly different from the other monkeys in his enclosure, as he is always picking up new skills. TikToker @bphillyy had this to say: “Bro learned not only how to run, but how to sprint and how to rebalance himself using the wall. Now, why he’s carrying a stick while running only him and God knows, but it’s very clear something is wrong with this monkey.”
Punch Making Folks Teary-eyed
Seeing the constant videos of Punch being beaten down has folks not only teary-eyed but also wondering if there is a zoologist who can help explain why on earth the monkeys won’t leave Punch alone.
“There has to be a zoologist or a monkey specialist who can tell us why these little macaques are beating on Punch. ‘Cause I’m watching these videos and I’m getting all teary-eyed, seeing him cling to his little plushie monkey, and I’m just like, man, why are they doing that?”
In the TikTok comments, more users demanded to know why Punch is being abused by his tribe, and one zoologist had a good explanation.
“Because he has no mom, he’s seen as an outsider/weak, and his having his stuffie is also seen as a sign of weakness to the other monkeys. It’s actually very close to human behavior, unfortunately. But, believe me, even though I understand it, it still breaks my heart just as much to see Punch treated like that,” they wrote in the comments.
Taking A Flight To Japan
Not happy with the fact that Punch was abandoned by his mom, @sincerelybillyne said that after spending 25 minutes crying about Punch, she was going to fly to Japan to “beat his momma ass.”
Ready To Be Take Care of Punch
On the same note, another TikTok user said that he was ready to take care of Punch if the other macaques don’t stop bothering him. “I’m at an airport. I’m ready to go; I’m this close,” he said.
In the comments, folks demanded answers from the zoo on how they plan to protect Punch.
“I need an official statement from the zoo with a detailed 25-point plan from them on what they are doing to protect Prince Punch,” commented one user.
“They jinxed the poor thing by naming him Punch,” added another.
A Message For The Other Macaque
Sending a message to the other monkeys in the enclosure, @shopaif called out the macaques for using Punch as a photo op before bullying him again.
“I know a photo op when I see one. Gladys (another macaque) is an opportunist and only fake hugged my nephew for the camera. You can already see that they’re not with it; they don’t like the boy for real,” she stated. “You all better not put your hands on his toy—that belongs to him!”
Reminding the mean macaques of their place, @shopaif added that they shouldn’t try to befriend Punch now that he is getting a lot of attention: “You weren’t messing with him then; we don’t need you now that he’s up. Okay? Alright?”
Stealing Punch From The Zoo
Using an old “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” clip of Kris Jenner with a pet monkey, one TikToker captioned that they were going to steal Punch from the zoo and treat him just as well as Kris Jenner was treating her monkey.
Punch’s Redemption Arc
Others are hoping that what doesn’t kill Punch will only make him stronger and that he will become the largest monkey in his enclosure.
“I love it. I want him to get bullied more. I want to see horrendous things happen to this adorable little monkey because I want the redemption arc to hit so hard. I want us to watch him grow and he becomes the biggest monkey in the exhibit and beats on the other monkeys that were bullying him when he was younger,” @morebs stated.
Some users agreed, writing it would be good for Punch to have revenge: “You are right he does need revenge But watching him get fight just makes me feel sad.”
Others commented that it is not how the monkey kingdom works: “This is very unrealistic for a monkey who’s motherless and seemingly banished by the others, he’ll most likely become and stay submissive, maybe to the point keepers have to take care of him.”
SNL Pokes Some Fun At Punch’s Mom
On SNL, Punch finally got the attention from his mom that he has been wanting all along. Yet his mom was also shown to be a very unreliable monkey who is here for a good time, not a long time, which only made folks angrier toward Punch’s mommy.
“Me as soon as I catch Punchs mom,” wrote one user with a fighting meme.
While many others in the comments compared Punch’s mom to the neglectful mom from the 1996 film “Matilda.”
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