Global attention surrounding a young Japanese macaque known as Punch has also highlighted two animal handlers at Ichikawa City Zoo. As videos of the infant macaque circulated widely on social media, viewers began identifying zookeepers Kosuke Shikano and Shumpei Miyakoshi as the primary caretakers responsible for the animal's early survival.
The two staff members, often referred toonline as the 'Punch Papas', work as animal keepers responsible for daily husbandry duties at the facility in Chiba Prefecture near Tokyo. They were assigned to care for the macaque after it was abandoned by its mother shortly after birth. The facility confirmed that Punch was born in July 2025 but was rejected by the first-time mother immediately following delivery.
Behind every photo of Punch with his stuffed toy, there’s someone working quietly to ensure that little monkey is doing well. His name is Kosuke Shikano, and he’s one of his main caregivers.When Punch was abandoned by his mother the day after he was born, Shikano and the zoo…pic.twitter.com/EQN09NTjoM
According to reporting from theAssociated Press,maternal rejectioncan occur in captive primate populations. Following the birth, staff initiated a hand-rearing protocol that required continuous monitoring and feeding by animal care workers.
Kosuke Shikano and Shumpei Miyakoshi were responsible for the daily care of the newborn macaque during the first stages of its life. Their work included bottle-feeding, maintaining body temperature and monitoring the infant's physical development during the weeks after birth.
Updates released by staff documented how the infant relied on astuffed orangutan toyplaced inside the enclosure. The object appeared in many of the videos shared online as caretakers worked to provide a stable environment during the early stages of development.
Because the infant was raised by humans, handlers also began preparing the macaque for eventual integration into the troop living at the facility. The enclosure known as 'Monkey Mountain' houses around 60 Japanese macaques.
本日はご来園ありがとうございました！飼育員「今日は夕方に、群れのサルから怒られるシーンがありましたが、特に怪我はありません。パンチは元気ですから心配しないでくださいね」明日2/22(日)は本日以上の来園者数が予想されます。明日もよろしくお願いします❗️#市川市動植物園#がんばれパンチpic.twitter.com/7iuY5zn4wC
Caretakers gradually introduced the infant macaque to other members of the group while maintaining supervision. Hand-raised primates must learn social behaviour and hierarchy cues before fully joining a troop.
Baby Punch's first climbing lessons..🐒😊❤️pic.twitter.com/QI2c3zYawl
Source: International Business Times UK
