Punch the macaque monkey at Ichikawa City Zoo, Digi Mart USA News (Japan): Punch, the young Japanese monkey who became an internet sensation by clinging to a stuffed orangutan toy, has apparently made new friends at the zoo. Ichikawa City Zoo and Botanical Gardens recently shared a video on social media that shows Punch playing with two other macaque monkeys, including a small one that appears to be a baby.
The adorable interaction offered a look at the young monkey’s social development after he was dragged around an enclosure by another monkey during the summer. “Punch and the other animals’ conditions change from day to day.
We observe them, interact with them, and provide care, and we also adjust their feeding to suit the season and weather,” according to the post, which was translated on X.
Punch was born in July 2025 and hand-raised by keepers after his mother rejected him and refused to care for him during a heat wave. Keepers gave him a stuffed orangutan toy, which became his constant companion and helped him capture hearts across the globe.
He has since gradually joined the zoo’s troop of about 60 macaques and appears to be forming relationships with other monkeys. Punch received more than 2,500 birthday cards when he turned 1 in July, according to The Associated Press.
His latest interaction with the other macaque marks another step in his development at the zoo, where staff continue to care for him as he grows. “I think Punch is able to live so healthily thanks to the care our keepers provide,” the X post noted.
“Please show your support for them, too.”
