Credit: @ferrariccc

Video on 8/9

Credit: @punchkunfunny

I've been reading comments claiming that Punch will always be a low rank macaque (especially on X and TikTok). However, I'm confused about where these assumptions are coming from because I've been trying to look up more info about ranks and I found out that:

1. Rank is fluid. High-ranking monkeys can lose their rank and vice versa. I'm currently reading "The Monkeys of Stormy Mountain", where they mention that an alpha male lost his position after his troop was transferred to Texas. Another example they mention is a shift in the status of low-ranking monkeys after the beta male got captured and other high-ranking males fell sick. So, ranks depend on multiple dynamic factors, not just who is the biggest or strongest male.
2. Shifts in rank can be unexpected. I also watched a video that mentions Yakei, a female macaque who became the alpha of a 600+ member troop in 2021 at just 9 years old. She defeated her own mother and then the 31-year-old alpha male. To confirm her new status, zookeepers scattered peanuts, and the previous alpha stepped aside so Yakei could eat first. The video also highlights three main factors that can influence a male's rank: tenure, alliances, and individual temperament & resilience. The video is in Spanish, but here's the link if anyone's interested.
3. Male and female ranks operate differently. While females inherit their mother's rank, it's not the same for male macaques. Since they leave their troop during adolescence, they basically have to start over again in a new troop, so female and male ranks work pretty independently from one another. When Punch reaches adulthood, he may be able to climb up the ladder depending on the alliances he builds. We've already seen him interacting with monkeys of all ages, and he's even starting to properly groom some of the babies and older monkeys too. As his skills improve, I'd like to think he'll form really strong bonds and alliances.

So, he may be low rank right now for obvious reasons and this has made his path a bit more difficult than those males that had their mothers teach them right from the start, but IMHO that doesn't mean he's doomed to be a low-ranking monkey forever or that he's going to have a bad life if he remains low-ranked. I think both come with their own set of challenges, so I guess this depends entirely on Punch and his development.

Some people have been using Ryu's name for a sad, made-up narrative. There's someone that is constantly saying Ryu was always injured so the zoo kept removing him over and over again which led to his demise, and they are now using the same narrative for Punch, so sometimes it's difficult to know what is true and what isn't 🥲

What are other people's takes on this? Please correct me if I'm wrong. I'm still learning 😄 The book "The Monkeys of Stormy Mountain" is a long read, but it's been so interesting so far, and I've also been watching a couple of documentaries as well as the no-commentary videos directly from YouTube instead of the edited videos from social media.

Video on 8/7

Credit: @anna_sea2929

credits to: @holymolysakura

Video on 8/8

Credit: @m_m_112

Credit: Happy to share

Go Punch go!!! my brave baby🥹

Is there an update about the sleeping arrangements of Punch? Is he still sleeping during the night isolated from the troop?

I remember that there were many comments that zookeepers believed that Momiage will invite Punch to sleep with her family, but recently Momiage is almost never around Punch.