Punch the monkey's story sparks comparison with Caesar; netizens say 'This is how Planet Of The Apes began'

Punch, a 7-month-old macaque monkey, has gone viral online after he was abandoned by his mother at the Ichikawa City Zoo, outside Tokyo. The closest thing he had to loved ones was the zookeepers who looked after him and a stuffed orangutan for comfort. Photos for the lonely money, playing by himself with videos of him cuddling up to his stuffed toy when bullied by the other monkeys, have taken social media by storm. However, the internet has spotted an unlikely filmy twist to this tear-jerking story. 'This is how Planet Of The Apes Began' one tweeted, while another said in agreement, "It’s literally the plot of Planet of the Apes(2014). Punch will grow up to be Caesar."Another said, "This is literally what happened to Caesar the ape in the ape holding cells after James Franco had to give him up, Punch is going to lead the ape revolution."Sharing the poster of the film 'The Rise of the Planet of the Apes', from the same franchise, another wrote, "we're getting closer to The Rise of The Planet of The Apes guys. Punch a few years later.""Imagine #punch turns into Caesar at 2030," one tweeted, while another added, "Punch is gonna start a Planet of the Apes style war on monkeys if his habitat mates don’t start acting right."Punch has attained internet celebrity status with fans around the world, cheering him on, with the zoo starting a hashtag, #HangInTherePunch. According to reports, the monkey was born last July at the Ichikawa City Zoo. He was sadly abandoned by his mother, allegedly due to a difficult labour during a heat wave. He was eventually nursed and cared for by the zoo staff and had a stuffed toy that he drags around wherever he goes.After months of being bullied and rejected, things are reportedly finally looking up for the young monkey, who was seen getting groomed by an adult monkey and learning how to make friends with other young monkeys.Meanwhile, a new 'Planet Of The Apes' movie is expected to arrive in 2027. Following the release of 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes', it was reported that the film would be the start of a new film series in the franchise. Director Wes Ball also confirmed plans to take the franchise forward.