Punch the monkey reminds us 'we all need soft spaces'

There's surely a reason we all went briefly nuts about a lonely little snow monkey called Punch living in a Japanese zoo. 

Because millions really did go a bit bonkers after seeing that the adorable Punch had been rejected by his mother and his troop, and was fending for himself in their enclosure. He was born in a heatwave, which may have meant his mother was fighting for her own survival. But it was almost the last straw — living in a world of broadcasted gloominess, growing authoritarianism, daily revelations about a global paedophile network and melting ice — it felt like too much to bear, knowing that poor Punch just needed a bloody hug and couldn't get one.

If you have somehow escaped the Punch phenomenon, and bless you for having a life offline, the zoo keepers gave him a stuffed toy from IKEA as a replacement mother, an orange orangutan that he scurried back to when the other monkeys bullied and beat him.

This toy, called "Ora-mama" has now sold out in several countries globally. We watched clips of the seven-month-old monkey dragging this plush toy around with him, stroking it and curling up on it, finding comfort in its softness. His obvious need for affection in the face of rejection was heart-breaking.

Ichikawa City Zoo posted a video of Punch on social media with the words: "Please watch over Punch's growth with warm support!" Soon, #HangInTherePunch was trending and the zoo was overwhelmed by a flood of sorrow and long lines of visitors who came to support the tiny macaque.

And social media exploded: reels of women dressing in monkey costume leaving for the airport, "on my way to Japan to become Punch's new Mom", blokes threatening to fly over and deck any monkey who threatens Punch, one man staring into space with the words: "Too much of my mental health is currently dependent on one fkn baby macaque monkey in a Japanese zoo."

A captive existence

The footage of Punch being chastised and pushed away by other monkeys provoked particular outrage. The zoo tried to reassure people in ensuing posts: "Today in the evening, there was a scene where Punch got scolded by the other monkeys in the troop, but there were no injuries in particular. Punch is full of energy, so please don't worry!"

Punch has "resilience and mental strength", they said, adding: "When you observe these disciplinary behaviours from other troop members toward Punch when he tries to communicate with them, we would like you to support Punch's effort rather than feel sorry for him."

There was nothing particularly rational about our collective response. The natural world can be brutal and rejection is rife. It can be shocking to be reminded of it, like that moment in a nature documentary when you are marvelling at the behaviour of a pride of noble lions then one of them goes and tears the organs out of a cute zebra's belly. Jon Stewart suggested — to loud boos — that perhaps there was something wrong with Punch, that his troop had their own reasons for pushing him away, and that monkeys know monkey logic better than we do. Rude.

Though it's true, to be protective about a monkey who has already been deprived of his natural environment and placed in an enclosure is in itself strangely contradictory. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) pointed this out. In a statement, Jason Baker, the Asia president for PETA said: "Zoos are not sanctuaries. They are places where animals are confined, deprived of autonomy, and denied the complex environments and social lives they would have in the wild. Like all macaques, Punch should be growing up in a tight-knit family group, learning vital social skills and exploring a rich, natural habitat — not seeking solace from a toy in a concrete pit."

"Internet fame does not change the reality of captivity. It only fuels a cycle in which facilities breed and display babies to drive ticket sales, while the animals pay the lifelong price."

I am Punch and he is me

There are many examples of cruel treatment of macaque. As conservation psychologist Carla Litchfield, pointed out, macaques are clever and widely experimented on for scientific purposes. They are often culled in Japan because they intrude into homes, damage crops and crossbreed with invasive species. They are also popular on the black market for wild pets. Litchfield told the Guardian: "Hopefully the millions of social media likes, and attention won't exacerbate the problem of illegal trade in infant monkeys for the exotic pet trade because everyone thinks baby monkeys are cute and would make a great pet."

But the internet is fuelled by emotion, not reason, and it was inflamed. When you type the words "Punch the monkey" into Google, confetti of hearts filled with a picture of Punch's face still splutter across the screen. Was it because we related to him? The sentiment "I am Punch and he is me" appeared in family group chats. Was it because the need for love and affection is so simple and so deep, that we all wanted to rush to give it?

The first thing my podcast co-host Jeremy Fernandez said to me when I mentioned him was — "I think all of us at some level is Punch the monkey! What I think is really lovely is that people want to step in and be the 'looker after-er', be the carer, be the one who meets the need of another creature, even if it is a little monkey in a Japanese zoo. I think the spirit behind that is incredible."

Mark Nielsen, a professor of psychology from the University of Queensland reminded us of a set of experiments by American researcher, Harry Harlow, in the 1950s, which seem cruel to us now. He took some rhesus monkey babies away from their mothers at birth, and provided them with two substitute mothers — one made of wire that provided food, and one that was made out of terry towelling, was soft and provided only company and comfort. The babies preferred the soft mothers, spending more time with them, and giving weight to the theory that babies need care, nurturing and affection to attach, not just the provision of physical needs.

"We all need soft spaces," said Nielsen. "We all need safe spaces. Love and warmth are far more important for our wellbeing and functioning than physical nourishment alone."

We all knew this, watching Punch, worrying. Then, on February 20, it finally happened: an adult monkey called Onsing wrapped her arms around Punch and drew him in for a cuddle. He is no longer alone. People cheered, wept and displayed an excessive reliance on heart emojis. It was, weirdly, all about love, in the end, about our need to feel it and our need to give it. In the midst of all the mayhem we see on our screens, it was a reminder of both a primal yearning and the sweetness of meeting it.

Julia Baird is an author, broadcaster, journalist and co-host of the ABC podcast, Not Stupid.