The Tamesis
As a Cancer currently in the luteal phase, I’m more or less able to project emotion and sadness onto houseplants, but I don’t think I’m the only one fascinated by the strange, sad, and strange life-affirming journey of Punch (or Panchi-kun in Japanese), a tiny Japanese macaque who currently resides at the Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan. Since being abandoned, Punch has gone viral for his obsession with an orange gorilla stuffed animal that makes me want to cry every time I see him?
Apparently the other monkeys at the zoo have been bullying Punch and I can’t help myself; when I look at him all I see is my weird little Maltipoo, Franklin, who thinks running up to other dogs and barking uncontrollably at them is an acceptable form of play, so he’s not always the most popular guy at the dog park. Which is to say: I need this baby ape to get better! And, for that matter, I need the cooler-than-thou dachshunds and pugs from the Delonpre Park Dog Run to accept Frank for who he is (a grumpy, anxious rescue that sometimes sucks)!
Fortunately for my seemingly unstable emotional state, some true love has recently come to Punch. Not only has IKEA Japan donated more orangutan toys to the Ichikawa Zoo than Punch can handle, but an adult monkey named Onsing appears to have taken Punch under his wing. witness:
