Ichikawa City Zoo has issued an update on the health and living conditions of its Japanese macaques after viral baby monkey Punch drew a surge of visitors to the zoo.
Punch has become an online sensation thanks to clips showing him bonding with other macaques, with fans closely following his growth and social development online.
However, amid the memes and viral videos, some Punch fans have raised questions about the monkeys’ living conditions and overall welfare in the zoo’s care.
On February 25, Ichikawa Zoo released an official statement addressing questions about the visible hair loss in the troop and the state of their “monkey mountain” enclosure.
“A lot of visitors are currently coming to the zoo to see the baby monkey, Punch. Many of them ask us about the health of the Japanese macaques, and we would like to explain their current condition and our plans,” the zoo said.
The statement confirmed that “A few macaques in the troop exhibit significant hair loss, or alopecia.”
According to the zoo, food intake and body weight remain appropriate under veterinary supervision, and “no clear sickness is evident.” Staff believe the primary cause is “excessive grooming habits,” which increase during winter as macaques huddle together for warmth.
“As a result, they spend more time grooming, which leads to further alopecia,” the statement explained. Three staff members have been working on improvement measures since June 2025, drawing on both domestic and overseas case studies.
The zoo also addressed criticism of the enclosure itself. “Animal welfare is the top priority in the current environment, and we are doing our best to improve the monkeys’ living conditions,” the statement read.
Ichikawa Zoo said four back rooms remain open at all times and are not visible to visitors, adding: “Punch also uses this space to hide.” It noted that trees installed for environmental enrichment are actively used as play tools, particularly by younger monkeys.
However, the zoo cautioned against making drastic changes while Punch is still integrating into the troop. “Making a radical change to the monkey mountain environment would upset the macaques and may lead to Punch being bullied,” it said.
Instead, the facility plans to prioritize Punch’s safe integration while continuing to monitor and improve overall conditions.
“We ask for your continued support of Punch and the other troop monkeys,” the statement concluded.
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