The Week Punch Got Hurt, One Monkey Kept Grooming Him

Punch monkey had a hard week in August - and one monkey at Ichikawa Zoo kept showing up to groom him. Fans call her Bat. August 11: Punch snuggled up to her. August 12: three monkeys ganged up on him, and his right ear got hurt. August 13: there she was again, grooming "Ballerina Punch" while he lay on his back with his legs in the air. And on August 30, the last day before Monkey Mountain closed for repairs, Bat was still grooming him. 0:00 The Week 0:12 August 11 2:43 August 12 4:01 August 13 6:34 August 14 6:55 Why Bat? 7:04 August 30 The science in this video: Macaques groom each other every day. It's how they make friends and keep the peace. Studies on macaques show that being groomed slows the heart and lowers stress. Scientists call it social buffering: a trusted friend nearby softens stress. In many primates, females help care for young ones that aren't their own. Scientists call it allomothering. Fans call her Koumori-nee, "Big Sister Bat" (コウモリ姉). Footage filmed by fans at Ichikawa City Zoo in August 2026. We love this little guy and deeply respect the keepers at Ichikawa City Zoo, a small local zoo doing its best for him every day. Who's the "Bat" in your life? Tell us in the comments. #PunchMonkey #IchikawaZoo #BabyMonkey #monkey #monkeyvideo