In July 2025, a baby orangutan named Panch was born at the Ichikawa zoo. After the baby was born, her mother refused, so the zoo’s caretakers had to take over her care – feeding, warming, and protecting her until Panch was strengthened.
To compensate for his lack of physical contact and security, caregivers gave him an orange plush toy in the shape of an orangutan. The little one clutches her while she sleeps, carries her everywhere, and clings tightly to her in case of fright or stress – the doll has become her real “psychological mother”.
Panch was gradually reintegrated into the group over time: the first viral videos still showed his loneliness, and later his cautious rapprochement with his conspecifics and his first successes in socialization. This story touched a lot of people on the net, and even inspired creators to create a visualization that evokes the atmosphere of Pixar cartoons, which reinterpreted Pancs ‘ journey as a story of acceptance and belonging.
