<p>While the internet can be a negative space, there are times when online communities can help make the world feel a bit brighter. This time, netizens are ralllying to assist an infant monkey shunned by its mother. The internet has fallen in love with a six-month-old Japanese macaque at Japan's City Zoo. Punch the monkey (Panchi-kun in Japanese) is now all over the internet after videos and pics of him dragging around an orangutan plushie went viral. This is Punch's story.</p><h2><strong>Who is Punch the macaque?</strong></h2><p>Punch, born July 2025, is a Japanese macaque born to a first-time mother who rejected him. According to Mainichi Shimbun, citing the Zoo staff, maternal rejection can occur in inexperienced mother who struggle to establish a bond with their offspring.</p><p>The now-viral primate was born healthy, but after being rejected by his mother, he was in a vulnerable state. Because of this, zookeepers Kosuke Shikano and Shumpei Miyakoshi started hand-rearing Punch.</p>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ja" dir="ltr">～お知らせ～<br>現在、サル山の中にぬいぐるみを持った子ザルがいます。<br>2025年7月26日に生まれ、放置されていたところから人工哺育で育ち、今年の1月19日から群れで過ごしています。<br>名前は「パンチ」という男の子です！<br>パンチの成長を暖かく見守ってください！<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E5%B8%82%E5%B7%9D%E5%B8%82%E5%8B%95%E6%A4%8D%E7%89%A9%E5%9C%92?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#市川市動植物園</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E3%83%8B%E3%83%9B%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B6%E3%83%AB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ニホンザル</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E3%83%91%E3%83%B3%E3%83%81?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#パンチ</a> <a href="https://t.co/jNpFSH0LOV">pic.twitter.com/jNpFSH0LOV</a></p>&mdash; 市川市動植物園（公式） (@ichikawa_zoo) <a href="https://twitter.com/ichikawa_zoo/status/2019304990565904830?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2><strong>Why does Punch carry a plushie?</strong></h2><p>As babies, macaques depend on their mothers for warmth, reassurance, and physical development. Without this physical contact, young monkeys can develop psychological stress and experience social difficulties. To avoid this, the zoo staff got Punch substitutes, including rolled towels and soft toys.</p><p>Eventually, Punch the monkey got attached to the orangutan plushie, which he now carries with him everywhere. The zookeepers compare the plushie to a "surrogate mother" for the emancipated monkey.</p><p>He’s just a baby</p><p>Punch has since been reintroduced to his own kind, but often gets scolded by the other monkeys. Due to this, he would often retreat to his trusted plushie, even hiding behind it. Videos of his heartbreaking behaviour soon went viral online, with people showing up in droves to see the little monkey.</p><p>Punch soon became an online phenomenon with thousands of shares with the hashtag #HangInTherePunch.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The story of Punch-kun, known as Punch, the baby monkey, who was rejected by his mother.<br><br>Punch, is a seven-month-old baby macaque monkey who inhabits the Ichikawa Zoo in Japan.<br>Born in July 2025, Punch had to swallow a harsh reality when his birth mother refused and abandoned… <a href="https://t.co/DNS2LV5B7F">pic.twitter.com/DNS2LV5B7F</a></p>— 👉M-Û-R-Č-H👈 (@TheEXECUTlONER_) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheEXECUTlONER_/status/2024319408034697237?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<p>Recently, a video of Punch being dragged around by an adult monkey went viral. The video appears to have been taken in the morning of February 19th, clarified the zoo.</p>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Leave Punch-kun alone 😭💔<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E3%81%8C%E3%82%93%E3%81%B0%E3%82%8C%E3%83%91%E3%83%B3%E3%83%81?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#がんばれパンチ</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HangInTherePunch?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HangInTherePunch</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E5%B8%82%E5%B7%9D%E5%B8%82%E5%8B%95%E6%A4%8D%E7%89%A9%E5%9C%92?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#市川市動植物園</a> <a href="https://t.co/AWXEknMQKy">https://t.co/AWXEknMQKy</a> <a href="https://t.co/1moEBUZLcd">pic.twitter.com/1moEBUZLcd</a></p>— Instant Loan Hub (@InstantLoan_Hub) <a href="https://twitter.com/InstantLoan_Hub/status/2024709463081460028?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<p>The Ichikawa Zoo, in a statement on X, explained that "It seems that the monkey who dragged Punch down this time was the mother of the baby monkey with whom Punch was trying to communicate. The mother probably thought that her baby monkey had been treated badly, and thought to Punch, 'Don't do such mean things to your baby monkey'."</p>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ja" dir="ltr">昨日(2/19)に撮影されたと思われる<br>「パンチが群れのサルに引きずられている動画」について<br><br>添付をご一読ください。<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E5%B8%82%E5%B7%9D%E5%B8%82%E5%8B%95%E6%A4%8D%E7%89%A9%E5%9C%92?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#市川市動植物園</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E5%B8%82%E5%B7%9D%E3%83%95%E3%82%A1%E3%83%B3?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#市川ファン</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E3%81%8C%E3%82%93%E3%81%B0%E3%82%8C%E3%83%91%E3%83%B3%E3%83%81?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#がんばれパンチ</a> <a href="https://t.co/rT128eCraj">pic.twitter.com/rT128eCraj</a></p>— 市川市動植物園（公式） (@ichikawa_zoo) <a href="https://twitter.com/ichikawa_zoo/status/2024711162664013933?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<p>After Punch went viral, IKEA Japan’s president visited him and donated multiple replacement plushies to ensure that the little monkey continues to have comfort as he gradually integrates with his troop.</p>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Punch, the baby monkey who went viral for clinging to a plush toy after being abandoned by his mother, was visited by IKEA Japan’s president.<br><br>During the visit, IKEA donated multiple replacement DJUNGELSKOG orangutan plushies, affectionately nicknamed “Oran Mama” by fans, to… <a href="https://t.co/nPRGDbYxou">pic.twitter.com/nPRGDbYxou</a></p>— Complex (@Complex) <a href="https://twitter.com/Complex/status/2024296672830935526?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

A six-month-old Japanese macaque named Punch has become an unlikely internet star after videos showed him clinging to an orangutan plushie at Ichikawa City Zoo. This is his story.

While the internet can be a negative space, there are times when online communities can help make the world feel a bit brighter. This time, netizens are ralllying to assist an infant monkey shunned by its mother. The internet has fallen in love with a six-month-old Japanese macaque at Japan's City Zoo. Punch the monkey (Panchi-kun in Japanese) is now all over the internet after videos and pics of him dragging around an orangutan plushie went viral. This is Punch's story. Who is Punch the macaque? Punch, born July 2025, is a Japanese macaque born to a first-time mother who rejected him. According to Mainichi Shimbun, citing the Zoo staff, maternal rejection can occur in inexperienced mother who struggle to establish a bond with their offspring. The now-viral primate was born healthy, but after being rejected by his mother, he was in a vulnerable state. Because of this, zookeepers Kosuke Shikano and Shumpei Miyakoshi started hand-rearing Punch.

<p>A six-month-old Japanese macaque named Punch has become an unlikely internet star after videos showed him clinging to an orangutan plushie at Ichikawa City Zoo. This is his story.</p>

Meet internet's new sweetheart: Punch, baby monkey who carries a plushie everywhere. THIS is his story

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