It’s Punch and his plushie against the world. If you didn’t know, Punch is a Japanese macaque who was abandoned and rejected by his mother at the Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan. His caregivers at the zoo gave him a stuffed orangutan plushie for comfort. With all the fame that Punch is receiving, what can we learn from him?
Many people on social media have been traveling to Japan just to see Punch and check up on him by posting new videos of him on social media, the most popular platform being TikTok. A motherly instinct has kicked in from most of the world, all for baby Punch. The attention of this macaque has sparked a discussion about attachment theory, a topic widely discussed in Psychology and Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS.)
Relation to Psychology and HDFS
Attachment theory, in simple terms, is a way to describe the emotional bonds and relationships between people, or in this case, monkeys. Punch has an attachment to his plushie because he does not have someone with motherly instincts to look up to.
Feeling that comfort and security is important for any infant growing up. Punch has directed those feelings toward his plushie and is now using that as something that he connects and bonds with.
As humans, it is essential to get that comfort and security. Some people whom you “attach” to would be figures such as parents, grandparents or any sort of guardian who has shown up for you in a time of need.
When parents fail to show love, maybe you took a page out of Punch’s book and were closer to a stuffed animal, whom you would go to cuddle when you felt upset and take to the doctor, park, etc. when you were little.
Are we Punch, or is Punch us?
Throughout Punch’s TikTok fame he has been shown to be struggling with loneliness and the rejection of his mother, along with experiencing bullying for the other macaques. Sometimes, there are even heartbreaking videos of the other monkeys pushing or shoving Punch away.
This aspect of Punch’s life could be related to humans and the workplace. Maybe you don’t feel like you fit in or maybe you’re a student at school and you try to make friends but keep hitting a dead end. Having that feeling of isolation can be hard, especially if you feel like you’ve been trying to open up to others, just like baby Punch.
When you look hard enough, there is always someone supporting you near or far, just like in Punch’s situation.
What do you think about Punch and his plushie? Do you relate to Punch in any of these ways? Let us know by tagging us @VALLEYMag on X!
