Users across the globe have reported seeing a wave of digital hearts appear on their screens, and the reason behind it is a baby monkey. Google has introduced a feature honouring Punch, a young Japanese macaque whose rise to fame has been nothing short of remarkable.
Punch calls Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, his home. It was the zoo’s own staff who set the ball rolling, posting glimpses into his life – his attempts at climbing and the looks on his face that seemed to resonate with people everywhere. What started as content for a local audience grew, without warning, into something the world could not stop watching.
Today, Punch is regarded as a face of kawaii – the Japanese concept of cuteness – on the world stage.
Baby monkey Punch becomes a global sensation as Google pays tribute with animation
Those who type “Punch the monkey” into Google will find themselves greeted by a shower of pink hearts. Those working in technology have noted that this ranks among the fastest rollouts of a Google tribute feature seen in recent times, a response to the volume of people searching for the primate, according to media reports
Content featuring animals has long been a staple of life online, but Punch has distinguished himself through the nature of his personality.
The wave of interest – dubbed “Punch fever” – has brought an increase in footfall to Ichikawa City Zoo, with people making the journey from as far afield as Europe and the United States to see him.
