Who Is Punch’s Mum?

Three females, one unanswered question — and three very different relationships

There is one question Punch’s followers ask again and again:

“Who is Punch’s mum?”

▪︎ The honest answer is simple:

We don’t know.

Punch’s biological mother has not been publicly identified. What we do know is that his beginning was unusual for a Japanese macaque. When he did not receive the maternal care he needed, his keepers stepped in.

But keeping Punch alive was only the beginning.

He also had to learn something just as important — how to be a macaque.

How to communicate.

How to interact.

How to play.

How to seek comfort.

How to read other macaques.

And, eventually, how to find his place within a troop.

Along the way, several females became important parts of that story.

Three, in particular, stand out.

☆‐Moe-chan.

☆-Kibi.

☆-Momiage.

Each developed a very different relationship with Punch.

▪︎ Moe-chan — The Guardian

Moe-chan was one of the younger females brought into Punch’s world early on.

Her relationship with him has often looked protective.

She has stayed close to Punch, interacted with him and, at times, appeared to take on a kind of guardian or big-sister role.

For a young macaque who had not experienced the normal protection of a mother and natal group, those interactions mattered.

Moe did not need to be Punch’s biological mother to become important to him.

Sometimes a social bond begins simply because one macaque allows another to come close.

And Punch seemed to find that opportunity with Moe.

▪︎ Kibi — Why She Raises the Question

Then there is Kibi.

Kibi’s relationship with Punch has always raised questions.

She appeared particularly interested in him, and there have been moments when she seemed to comfort, protect or respond to him when he was distressed.

There is also something else that catches the eye.

Some observers have noticed similarities between Kibi and Punch — particularly around the eyes and nose, the shape of the muzzle and lips, and their thick, wavy coats.

Those similarities are interesting.

But appearance alone cannot establish parentage.

Macaques can share physical characteristics without being closely related, and without a confirmed birth record or genetic evidence, we cannot turn resemblance into proof.

That is why Kibi remains what she has always been in Punch’s story:

an intriguing possibility, not an answer.

▪︎ A Detail That Made Me Look Again

Punch’s mother has been described as young and low-ranking.

That has always been an important detail when trying to understand his difficult beginning.

But watching the troop over time has also made me think about the circumstances surrounding births more broadly.

Punch was born during an exceptionally hot summer.

We saw young infants arrive during that period, and we also witnessed heartbreaking losses among some babies born during the summer.

That does not tell us what happened to Punch’s mother or why she did not provide the maternal care he needed.

But extreme environmental conditions can add another layer of stress to the already vulnerable period surrounding birth.

Perhaps being young and low-ranking was part of the picture.

Perhaps the environmental conditions also mattered.

Perhaps there were other circumstances we simply cannot see.

The important point is that we do not have the complete story of Punch’s first days.

And without knowing exactly what happened, it is difficult to reduce his beginning to a single explanation.

▪︎ Momiage — Punch’s Safe Place

Momiage is different again.

She was far too young to be Punch’s biological mother, but that does not make her role any less interesting.

Punch became remarkably comfortable around her.

He would stay close to her, play with her and, famously, ride directly on her back.

There is a sense of familiarity between them.

For Punch, Momiage appears to have provided something incredibly valuable:

a safe social relationship.

She could not replace the mother he had lost or never properly experienced.

But she could help him learn.

How to approach another macaque.

How to stay close.

How to play.

How to follow.

How to belong.

And Momiage’s own mother has also been seen caring for Punch, creating another layer to the social network around him.

▪︎ Three Females — Three Different Bonds

Looking at these three females together makes Punch’s story even more interesting.

Kibi represents the unanswered biological question. 

Moe-chan became a protective presence.

Momiage became a trusted companion and safe place.

None of these relationships proves who Punch’s biological mother was.

But all three demonstrate something important about Japanese macaque society:

motherhood and caregiving are not always the same thing.

Macaques live within complex social networks, and young animals can interact with many individuals beyond their biological mother.

Those relationships can help a youngster learn the rules of troop life and develop social confidence.

For Punch, that social learning was especially important.

He had to find his way into macaque society without having had the ordinary beginning most infants receive.

▪︎ The Missing Piece

There is still one piece missing from Punch’s story.

His biological mother.

We can look at behaviour.

We can notice physical similarities.

We can observe who stayed close to him.

We can follow the relationships that developed after his birth.

But none of those things can give us certainty about his parentage.

Perhaps one day more information will become available.

Perhaps it won’t.

And that uncertainty is part of Punch’s story too.

Because while we may not know exactly who gave birth to him, we can see the individuals who helped shape the macaque he became.

The guardian.

The question.

The safe place.

Three females.

Three very different relationships.

And one little macaque who had to learn to find his place in the world in his own way.

Every macaque has a different story.

And Punch’s story is still being written. 🤎🐵

Author

Written by SarahPunch26 — an independent creator following Punch-kun’s journey from his early days of hand-rearing to life within the Japanese macaque troop at Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Garden.

This article is based on publicly available information, zoo updates and observations of Punch-kun’s ongoing development. It is an independent feature and is not affiliated with or published by Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Garden.

🐒 Follow Punch-kun’s journey with me 🧡