Zeros

Happy First Birthday, Punch! Happy first birthday to Punch , the little Japanese macaque who somehow managed to win over the entire internet without saying a single word. A year ago , he entered the world under heartbreaking circumstances after being abandoned by his mother shortly after birth. Thanks to the dedication of his keepers , Punch survived , growing up with the comfort of an orangutan plush toy that became his constant companion and an unforgettable symbol of resilience. Over the past year , millions of people have watched him grow from a tiny orphan into a playful young monkey learning to find his place among other macaques. Today , Punch no longer spends every moment hugging his stuffed friend. His caretakers report that he is healthy, energetic, and becoming increasingly social with the other monkeys in his troop. That is wonderful news , because it means he is developing the skills every young Japanese macaque needs to thrive. His first birthday has even ins...

Tonight's Big Match: Punch the Macaque Takes the Field If you thought the excitement surrounding every  World Cup match is intense, clearly you haven't been following the rise of Punch , the Japanese macaque, who has become the most unlikely sports hero, since someone convinced the world that a goldfish could predict soccer scores. For older pop music fans, think of Punch as the monkey equivalent of a superstar crossing genres . One minute he's a curious macaque trying to fit in, and the next he's the primate version of Pelé , Michael Jackson , and a reality television contestant all rolled into one furry package . Punch's story has all the ingredients of a classic underdog tale —except he's not actually the underdog anymore. Originally rejected by one troop , Punch found acceptance in another group. The monkey social scene can be ruthless . One day you're sitting at the cool kids' table. The next day you're eating cabbage alone and que...

What in the Monkey Heck Is Happening at Ichikawa Zoo? Let us take a moment — a long, bewildered, slack-jawed moment — to absorb what has transpired at the Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba Prefecture, just outside Tokyo , because the facts of this story read like a fever dream generated by a group chat that has lost all contact with civilization . You know Punch . If you've been anywhere near the internet this spring, you've likely heard of Punch . The baby Japanese macaque was abandoned by his mother shortly after birth at Ichikawa City Zoo, and zookeepers, after experimenting with rolled-up towels and other substitutes, settled on an IKEA orangutan plushie as his emotional support companion . The internet collectively shattered. Zoo attendance jumped more than 100,000 visitors year-over-year, reaching the highest annual total since the park opened in 1987 . Punch became a global phenomenon — a small, abandoned primate clutching a stuffed toy while the rest of his tro...