<p>Internet geeks who type 'The Punch Monkey' on Google were in for a surprise.</p><p>Instead of the regular searches, what pops up on your screen is colourful hearts and animated monkey icons running across.</p><p>Bright pink hearts with a hand drawn version of Punch clinging onto his orangutan plushie quickly pop up on the users' screen.</p><p>Punch, a baby macaque abandoned by its mother, shot to stardom after being pictured getting bullied by other monkeys and seeking comfort from the orangutan toy at Ichikawa City Zoo outside Tokyo.</p><p>Over a long holiday weekend in Japan, fans queued for up to an hour to catch a glimpse of Punch.</p>.<p>Spurned by its mother, Punch was raised in an artificial environment after being born in July, and began training to rejoin his troop last month.</p><p>Punch's predicament sparked huge interest online, spawning a devoted fanbase under the hashtag #HangInTherePunch, as large crowds thronged the zoo.</p><p>Google at times embeds playful Easter eggs tied to major moments -- be it movie releases or scientific milestones. But the “Punch the monkey” animation has taken the Internet literally by storm!</p><p>Responses were mixed for the 'Punch the Monkey' trend.</p><p>The plight of the baby monkey in Japan who has become an internet sensation shows the cruelty of zoos, said an animal rights group as sales of the plush IKEA orangutan the animal clings to boomed.</p><p>"Zoos are not sanctuaries -- they are places where animals are confined, deprived of autonomy, and denied the complex environments and social lives they would have in the wild," said People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).</p><p>"What some are calling 'cute' is actually a glimpse into the trauma of a young, highly social primate coping with isolation and loss," the group's Asia director, Jason Baker, said in a statement.</p><p>However, on the positive side Mumbai Police used the Punch Monkey's story to spread awareness about helpline numbers with most of the social media users saying that Punch's story is an effective way to spread awareness about important services.</p>
<p>Internet geeks who type 'The Punch Monkey' on Google were in for a surprise.</p><p>Instead of the regular searches, what pops up on your screen is colourful hearts and animated monkey icons running across.</p><p>Bright pink hearts with a hand drawn version of Punch clinging onto his orangutan plushie quickly pop up on the users' screen.</p><p>Punch, a baby macaque abandoned by its mother, shot to stardom after being pictured getting bullied by other monkeys and seeking comfort from the orangutan toy at Ichikawa City Zoo outside Tokyo.</p><p>Over a long holiday weekend in Japan, fans queued for up to an hour to catch a glimpse of Punch.</p>.<p>Spurned by its mother, Punch was raised in an artificial environment after being born in July, and began training to rejoin his troop last month.</p><p>Punch's predicament sparked huge interest online, spawning a devoted fanbase under the hashtag #HangInTherePunch, as large crowds thronged the zoo.</p><p>Google at times embeds playful Easter eggs tied to major moments -- be it movie releases or scientific milestones. But the “Punch the monkey” animation has taken the Internet literally by storm!</p><p>Responses were mixed for the 'Punch the Monkey' trend.</p><p>The plight of the baby monkey in Japan who has become an internet sensation shows the cruelty of zoos, said an animal rights group as sales of the plush IKEA orangutan the animal clings to boomed.</p><p>"Zoos are not sanctuaries -- they are places where animals are confined, deprived of autonomy, and denied the complex environments and social lives they would have in the wild," said People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).</p><p>"What some are calling 'cute' is actually a glimpse into the trauma of a young, highly social primate coping with isolation and loss," the group's Asia director, Jason Baker, said in a statement.</p><p>However, on the positive side Mumbai Police used the Punch Monkey's story to spread awareness about helpline numbers with most of the social media users saying that Punch's story is an effective way to spread awareness about important services.</p>
