Happy birthday, Punch the monkey, many friends to you

The footfall at the zoo grew by thousands wanting to see Punch, and he has received scores of birthday cards from his many well-wishers around the world. 2 min readJul 30, 2026 06:15 AM IST First published on: Jul 30, 2026 at 06:15 AM IST There is, in the story of a lonely monkey, an all-too-human tale. Born a year ago at the zoo in Ichikiwa, Japan, Punch’s early months were a bit of a tragedy. He was abandoned by his mother, likely because she was too exhausted after his birth to care for him. A bit of a runt, he was rejected by the other young simians in his troop. Bottle-fed by zookeepers, Punch’s closest companion was a stuffed toy — an orangutan — that was given to him. The tragic image of lonely young Punch clutching his doll, eyes exuding a fear and insecurity that so many human bei