Viral Japanese macaque Punch again at risk after visitor shines laser at him
Punch, the Japanese macaque who became an online sensation after being abandoned by his mother at birth, is once again at the center of controversy, this time after a visitor was seen shining a laser at him at Ichikawa Zoo in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Zoo management said this week it received a report about a YouTube video showing a person aiming a laser at Punch and the surrounding animals.
The zoo called the act “unacceptable” and warned that lasers can severely stress monkeys and other animals, and prolonged exposure to the eyes can cause vision damage or even blindness. Management said it would take strict steps, including immediately removing laser users from the zoo. It also reminded visitors not to use camera flashes and asked them to report any behavior that could endanger the animals.
Punch was born on July 26, 2025, and was abandoned shortly after birth. Keepers bottle-fed him and raised him by hand, then gave him a large IKEA orangutan plush toy for comfort and contact. That toy quickly became part of his identity and a major reason millions of people around the world fell in love with him. In early February, videos and photos of Punch clutching the plush spread online, the hashtag #HangInTherePunch drew millions of views, and zoo attendance rose sharply.
The attention also brought problems. Videos showing adult monkeys touching, pushing, or shaking Punch alarmed many online, but primate experts and the zoo said this was part of a difficult integration process into the troop, not necessarily abuse. Punch has been under close monitoring and in recent months has been reported to be adapting to group life. Zoo officials said he and the other monkeys were not hurt in the latest laser incident, but security patrols were deployed as a precaution. The zoo noted this was not the first disturbance, after two American tourists were arrested in May when one entered the monkeys’ enclosure holding a doll while the other filmed him, causing the animals to flee and huddle on rocks.
