ICHIKAWA, March 19 — Clutching a monkey plushie, Eliete Ikeda screamed “Punch!” as she caught sight of the underdog baby macaque still drawing crowds of photo-hungry visitors to a Japanese zoo weeks after he shot to stardom.

Seven-month-old Punch was abandoned by his mother and became an internet sensation after clips of him clinging to a plush orangutan toy for comfort — and seemingly being roughhoused by fellow monkeys — proliferated online last month.

His plight at Ichikawa City Zoo outside Tokyo has since spawned a dedicated fanbase under the hashtag #HangInTherePunch, leading to the local facility being flooded with an unprecedented number of visitors, including foreign tourists.

“I think it’s the relatability of it,” 30-year-old Jon Frigillana of the United States told AFP when asked why the monkey is tugging at the heartstrings of so many.

Hand-raised in an artificial environment immediately after his birth in July, the small, dark-furred macaque is gradually acclimatising, the zoo said, no longer clutching the plushie all the time. He’s also making a few friends.

“He’s going through a lot, but seeing him come through adversity... It’s nice to see strength in that way,” Frigillana said.

And with wars around the world dominating his newsfeed, “in this day and age, it’s heartwarming to see” Punch, he added.

Ikeda, meanwhile, said seeing the “kawaii” — or “cute” — Punch was a “present” during a birthday trip to the zoo to celebrate turning 53.

“Happy birthday for me,” she said excitedly.

Lately about 2,000 to 3,000 people a day have been flocking to the facility, roughly 10 times the usual number during the winter off-season, zoo official Takashi Yasunaga told AFP.

One local taxi driver said that “around a half” of pedestrians he drives past on the way to the zoo now appear to be non-Japanese — an “unprecedented” sight in his typically quiet neighbourhood.

“Some foreign tourists get in, and with big smiles on their faces, just tell me: ‘Punch’” to convey their destination, said the driver, who declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak to media.

Rules of monkey society 

But the attention showered on the zoo hasn’t all been positive.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) called Punch’s initial predicament a reminder of the cruelty faced by animals in captivity.

Widely circulated online clips focusing on a few pitiable interactions with other monkeys have exposed the zoo to criticisms, including from Europe over his state in enclosure.

In the strictly hierarchical society of Japanese macaques, it is not uncommon for higher-ranked individuals to “discipline and scold” newcomers in behaviours that are “fundamentally different from abuse in human society,” Yasunaga, the zoo official, said.

“We’re watching with patience and care as Punch gets trained in the troop and learns rules of monkey society,” he said.

On AFP’s recent visit, Punch was spotted playing alone with chains and branches on the floor of his enclosure, and occasionally approaching others — only to be ignored — before going back to his plushie.

“We hope he will eventually let go of his stuffed toy and become bigger in size and indistinguishable from others,” Yasunaga said.

“Such a sight might bring a bit of sadness to many of our visitors, but his growth into a full-fledged member of the troop is our ultimate hope.” — AFP