$NANAKO

Punch is a 6-month-old baby macaque at Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan. his mother abandoned him at birth. the zookeepers raised him by hand and gave him an IKEA plush to hold onto as a substitute mother.

then they put him in the enclosure with the other monkeys. a viral video showed what happened next.

a larger monkey grabbed Punch and dragged him across the concrete while he screamed.

millions of people watched. the whole internet rallied behind Punch with #GanbarePunch (keep going, Punch).

but nobody asked the obvious question:

what's the name of the monkey who did it?

Nanako (ナナコ) is a Japanese macaque at the same zoo. she has a history. the zoo's own official feeding diary says it:

fighting again. couldn't join the group. lives alone.

that's not a fan theory. that's the official zoo record. Nanako is a known aggressor. a repeat offender. and she attacked the most sympathized-with animal on the internet.

the internet has a hero. now it has a villain.

the zoo had to separate her from the group because she wouldn't stop fighting. she gets her fruit cut in half because she's alone. the diary notes her eating habits because she's the problem monkey.

then a 6-month-old orphan baby gets put in the enclosure and Nanako is the one who attacks him.

$PUNCH captured the internet's sympathy. millions of views. #GanbarePunch trending. everyone wanted to protect this baby monkey.

but every hero needs a villain. every story needs the other side.

$PUNCH is the baby who got attacked.

$NANAKO is the one who did it.