A baby macaque monkey named Punch has gone viral for his pursuit of companionship after being abandoned by his mother and rejected by his troop. At Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan, zookeepers gave him an orangutan plushie as a stand-in mother. Videos of Punch clinging to the toy have spread widely online, drawing emotional reactions from viewers across the world.
Punch’s attachment to the inanimate companion has also revived discussion about a well-known set of psychology experiments conducted in the 1950s by US researcher Harry Harlow. The findings from those experiments underpin many central ideas in attachment theory, which emphasises the importance of the bond between parent and child in development.
Harlow’s research involved taking rhesus monkeys from birth and separating them from their mothers. The young monkeys were raised in an enclosure where they had access to two surrogate “mothers”. One was a wire structure shaped like a monkey that could provide food and drink through a feeder. The other was a soft doll wrapped in terry towelling. It offered comfort but no food or drink.
The contrast was deliberate: one option provided nourishment without warmth, while the other offered softness and physical comfort without sustenance. At the time, behaviourism dominated psychology. Behaviourists argued that infants form attachments primarily to those who meet biological needs such as feeding and shelter.
Harlow’s work challenged that assumption. If behaviourist ideas were correct, the monkeys would have spent most of their time with the wire “mother” that provided food. Instead, the animals consistently spent far more time clinging to the terry towelling figure. The results suggested that comfort, warmth and emotional security play a fundamental role in forming attachments, not just physical nourishment.
These findings helped shape modern attachment theory and influenced thinking about caregiving and development. The experiments highlighted that emotional connection is essential for healthy growth and behaviour.
Punch’s situation was not designed as an experiment, but the circumstances echo elements of Harlow’s setup. In a more natural setting, the young monkey was deprived of maternal care and then given a soft surrogate object. The outcome appears similar: Punch gravitates towards something that offers comfort.
Like Harlow’s monkeys, Punch shows a preference for softness and security. The plush toy provides a place to cling to and rest against, even though it cannot replace a real mother or social group.
Today, however, attitudes toward such experiments have changed significantly. Many scientists and animal welfare advocates now consider Harlow’s studies ethically troubling. Separating infant animals from their mothers and exposing them to distress would not meet modern research standards.
Public reactions to Punch’s videos also reflect this shift. People recognise the emotional needs of primates more clearly than in the past, and many countries now acknowledge certain rights and protections for them.
The viral attention around Punch illustrates both empathy and curiosity. It shows how strongly people respond to visible signs of loneliness and attachment in animals.
Punch may be the internet’s latest animal story, but the episode also highlights a broader point long discussed in psychology: emotional care and safe, comforting spaces matter deeply for wellbeing, development and survival.
The Conversation