A mother macaque showed no interest in caring for her offspring, and since baby monkeys cling to their mothers to feel secure and build up their muscles, the Ichikawa Zoo looked for an alternative.
Punch, the baby macaque, took to a long-legged orangutan and his plight attracted sympathy online. A devoted fan base began posting updates about the monkey under the hashtag #HangInTherePunch.
The plan is now for seven-month-old Punch to gradually integrate and reunite with his herd. On Friday, more than 100 visitors gathered around the zoo's monkey enclosure and cheered as he tried to approach the others in the herd.
