Expert reveals what abandoned monkey Punch is really feeling, and I’m actually heartbroken

The tiny monkey known as Punch has melted all our hearts after being spotted curled around a stuffed orangutan, but is the viral baby actually capable of feeling sadness after being rejected by his mum? An animal expert has revealed his emotions.

Punch’s story first drew attention when keepers at Ichikawa City Zoo revealed he’d been abandoned shortly after birth. The young macaque also struggled to integrate with other monkeys in his group, leaving him without playmates.

FRANCK ROBICHON/EPA/Shutterstock

To give him comfort, staff offered a plush toy. Punch has since been seen dragging the soft orangutan around his enclosure, a sight that’s devastated animal lovers worldwide.

If Punch were human, most people would assume he felt lonely or rejected. But according to primate cognition specialist Dr Emily Bethell from Liverpool John Moores University, the emotional reality is more nuanced, though still pretty heartbreaking.

Speaking to UNILAD, she explained that emotions exist across the animal kingdom:
“Emotions are survival mechanisms, they are the body’s way of surviving by seeking out things associated with positive emotions and avoiding things that are associated with negative emotions.”

For infant primates, maternal contact is one of those positive experiences. Losing it can therefore carry emotional weight.

“Abandonment will, at some level, feel negative,” Dr. Bethell said.

Punch is really so cute… He was abandoned by his mother, so he was raised by humans.
But when he was brought to the zoo, he couldn’t integrate into the monkey troop’s society and could only cling to the plush toy/doll that the zookeeper gave him. pic.twitter.com/qfxOmAkbOx

— Wholesome Side of 𝕏 (@itsme_urstruly) February 15, 2026

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So yes, Punch is likely experiencing something unpleasant. But how he interprets that experience internally is impossible to pin down. The expert stressed that while negative feelings are probable, “we cannot say to what extent Punch understands this”.

As for why his mother rejected him in the first place, abandonment isn’t typical in macaques, but it does occur. Research shows inexperienced mothers are statistically more likely to abandon their first offspring, and maternal behaviour also varies between individuals. Early-life trauma can play a role too.

There may still be hope for Punch’s social future. The zoo has reportedly created retreat spaces so he can avoid aggression from other monkeys while he grows and gains confidence. As macaques mature, relationships usually become more important than the mother–infant bond.

“By 6 months old macaques will be spending more time away from the mother and playing with other youngsters. It is also common for youngsters to be handled by unrelated adults, including males. Hopefully as Punch gets older he will have more opportunities for positive social interactions with his group mates.”

For now, the sight of the baby monkey clinging to his toy still hurts.

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Featured image credit: FRANCK ROBICHON/EPA/Shutterstock