- Baby monkey Punch-kun at Ichikawa City Zoo bonded with a stuffed orangutan toy
- Punch was abandoned by his mother and receives round-the-clock care from zoo staff
- Videos show Punch being scolded and dragged by adult monkeys during social attempts
A baby monkey in Japan has become an internet sensation after forming a close bond with a stuffed animal. The young monkey, named Punch-kun, has captured the hearts of people online after being seen carrying a stuffed orangutan with him everywhere he goes at Ichikawa City Zoo in Ichikawa, Japan, in clips shared on social media.
Punch was born in July 2025, but his mother abandoned him soon after birth. Bonding with his mother is not only natural for baby monkeys, but crucial for their safety, warmth, and emotional balance. Because Punch was deprived of maternal affection from birth, zoo staff had to provide him with round-the-clock care.
The Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Gardens issued a statement regarding the video of Punch that went viral on the internet.
The Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Gardens mentioned, "This is a statement from the zookeepers at the Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Gardens. We have confirmed that several videos have gone viral on the internet. When Punch approached another baby monkey from the troop in attempt to communicate, the baby monkey avoided him. Punch then sat down, apparently giving up on communicating with the monkey, after which he was scolded and dragged by an adult monkey."
They further stated, "The adult monkey that dragged Punch is probably the mother of the monkey with whom Punch tried to communicate. She probably felt that her baby was annoyed by Punch and got upset, expressing "don't be mean.""
The zoo added that Punch has been scolded by other monkeys many times in the past and has learned how to socialize with them, and in the video, he runs to his stuffed orangutan toy after being dragged, but, as usual, he leaves the toy after a short while and goes back to communicating with the other monkeys.
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According to the statement, "The video was probably recorded on the morning of February 19. During feeding time at 12 pm and 3 pm, Punch acted no differently than on any other day."
"In order to integrate Punch into other Japanese monkey troops, we anticipated that this kind of challenge may arise. Although Punch has been scolded many times by other monkeys, no single monkey has shown serious aggression toward him," added the Zoo.
They mentioned in their statement that, "While Punch is scolded, he shows resilience and mental strength. When you observe these disciplinary behaviors from other troop members toward Punch when he tries to communicate with them, we would like you to support Punch's effort rather than feel sorry for him."
