While viral clips can raise questions, Dr. Jan Ramer said observers should remember that short videos don’t show the full story.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Punch, a baby monkey in a Japanese zoo, has melted hearts around the world with videos of him clinging to a stuffed orangutan.
Dr. Jan Ramer, senior vice president of animal care and conservation at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and The Wilds, said that while the short viral clips of Punch have sparked concern, there’s often much more happening behind the scenes at zoos.
“I’ve seen the videos of Punch, and the poor little guy,” Ramer told 10TV. “I don’t know all the circumstances at that zoo, but they’ve kept him with macaques, which is important so he can be with his own species. Sometimes reintroductions can look a little dicey, but he’s probably getting the best care he can possibly get.”
“There’s way more to the story I’m sure than we’re seeing on those little vignettes,” she added.
Ramer explained that situations like Punch’s, in which a baby primate requires intervention, aren’t uncommon in animal care.
Mothers may be inexperienced, ill or unable to produce enough milk, prompting staff to step in. She shared two recent examples from the Columbus Zoo and the Wilds, including a bonobo named Winston, as well as an Asian one-horned rhino named Stella, both of whom required human support before being successfully reintroduced to their families.
“Our goal is really to let the animals be animals,” Ramer said. “If we have to intervene and help them, we want to get them back in with their own kind as soon as possible.”
The stuffed toy Punch carries, Ramer said, is a source of comfort — much like children with their own plush companions — but she emphasized that it’s only part of the process of caring for young animals.
For those concerned about Punch’s welfare, Ramer said people can take comfort in knowing that trained animal care staff are constantly monitoring mothers and babies to determine when interventions are needed, and that reunions with family members are typically successful.
“The best thing for any monkey or nonhuman primate that is being hand-raised is to get it back with its own kind as soon as possible,” she said. “They’re very social animals. If you raise a monkey with humans, it won’t know how to be a monkey in the future. I suspect Punch is going to be just fine.”
Ramer also encouraged the public to learn more about wildlife and conservation efforts by visiting the Columbus Zoo and the Wilds, noting that supporting conservation work helps animals both locally and globally.
“Our animal care staff is phenomenal,” she said. “They know those animals as well as you all know your pets. If any little thing goes wrong, they alert management. They alert the vet staff.”
While viral clips can raise questions, Ramer said observers should remember that short videos don’t show the full story.
“When animals are reintroduced to their families or to another group, there are sometimes things that look a little dicey, and sometimes those behaviors are completely normal,” she added.
Ramer also offered insight into why Punch has captured so many hearts.
“He’s just darn cute,” she said. “A monkey dragging around a stuffy… it really makes us think about our own children dragging around their stuffies. So he’s, he’s like emblematic of how our hearts go out to animals.”
Ramer’s message to the public: the animals at the Columbus Zoo and the Wilds are receiving the best possible care, and stories like Punch’s are handled with experience, patience and a focus on the animals’ well-being.
