Overview
- Punch, which turned one on Sunday, has about 2,500 birthday cards from inside and outside Japan on display at Ichikawa City Zoo.
- Zoo officials say Punch is healthy, is playing with other baby monkeys and is relying less on the IKEA orangutan plush that first drew public attention.
- The zoo raised roughly ¥58 million by mid-July from donations linked to Punch’s popularity and used the funds for improvements including a new air-conditioning system.
- Social media posts in February drove tens of thousands of visitors to the zoo, about half from overseas, and the attention has led to security problems such as a May enclosure break-in by U.S. content creators and a recent laser‑pointer incident.
- The story has boosted local tourism and given keepers recognition but also prompted criticism over animal welfare and public safety, so the zoo faces pressure to strengthen security and manage visitor behavior going forward.