Nothing is quite as soul-enriching as tales of animals being their quirky selves in a world run amok by humans. The voluptuous splendor of Moo Deng the baby pygmy hippo; the gripping caper of whether fiercely independent Mei Mei the parakeet would let herself be homed for the NYC winter (thus saving her life); the Virginia raccoon exhibiting the all-too relatable quagmire of getting piss drunk and passing out in the bathroom. These are the stories that fill my heart with joy, awe, and hope. But let me tell you, nothing — NOTHING! — has ever come close to the emotional agony that has been following the saga of Panchi-Kun, or “Punch,” the lonely baby macaque monkey in Japan’s Ichikawa Zoo. Punch was born in July and promptly abandoned by his mother and their troop. HOW??? Who could possibly look at those pleading eyes and Hobbit ears and want to do anything other than hug Punch for eternity?
A baby macaque being abandoned in the wild can be fatal, but thank heavens Punch was scooped up by zookeepers who have been caring for him ever since. One of their first, and as it turns out most consequential steps, was to give Punch a lovie toy to cling to. Since being gifted the soft toy, IKEA’s Djungelskog orangutan has not left Punch’s side. Punch carries his orangutan around everywhere and cuddles up with it to sleep, and the images of all this coming from Ichikawa Zoo have been causing hearts to swell the world over!
More information about Punch, the baby monkey at Ichikawa Zoo in Japan.
He was abandoned by his mother shortly after birth and has been hand-raised by zookeepers.
They gave him a plush orangutan toy, which he carries everywhere, hugging it while he sleeps, using it for comfort when he feels nervous, and even taking it with him as he interacts with the other monkeys.
In mid-January, Punch was successfully introduced to a group of other macaques at the zoo, though he still stays close to his cuddly companion as he adjusts.
You guys. Can’t. Too much. Adorable. OVERLOAD! It truly does seem that Punch is doing better and better with the other macaques with each passing day. A big milestone was reached over the weekend when an adult sat down to groom Punch — don’t ever let anyone tell you hair isn’t important! But it hasn’t been all smooth-sailing, hence the description of Punch as the “lonely” monkey. Like any toddler being dropped off at pre-school for the first time, the initial interactions with the other monkeys were very intimidating for Punch! So yes, he kept his orangutan by his side even then, including holding onto his lovie while otherwise squeezing himself into an open cube on the grounds to hide from the others when he got spooked. I’m telling you, my heart cannot take this! The pathos! The plushie! The universal struggle to find your people monkeys. My heart is filled to bursting, a state common among many, if not all, who’ve been checking in on Punch’s plight. Before the recent breakthrough of being groomed (and hugged!) by an adult monkey, people on the interwebs were up in arms, ready to fly out to Ichikawa Zoo and draw pistols with all the other monkeys who seemed to be ignoring Punch. It’s been a rollercoaster! But I guess the overarching lessons of this story are to keep on trying even when things are difficult and to be kind to all the monkeys in your playpen. And of course, plushie toys are lifesavers.
More information about Punch, the baby monkey at Ichikawa Zoo in Japan.
He was abandoned by his mother shortly after birth and has been hand‑raised by zookeepers.
They gave him a plush orangutan toy, which he carries everywhere, hugging it while he sleeps, using it for… pic.twitter.com/qn1fO7Wu1n
— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) February 14, 2026
More information about Punch, the baby monkey at Ichikawa Zoo in Japan.
He was abandoned by his mother shortly after birth and has been hand‑raised by zookeepers.
They gave him a plush orangutan toy, which he carries everywhere, hugging it while he sleeps, using it for… pic.twitter.com/qn1fO7Wu1n
— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) February 14, 2026
— 💖 (@twaniimals) February 17, 2026
仲間に丁寧に毛繕いされてるパンチくんを見て嬉しくなりました
パンチくんが一生懸命がんばってるのをわかってくる仲間がいてよかった#がんばれパンチ #がんばれパンチくん #市川市動植物園 pic.twitter.com/yE1C6u1N5z— あちな* (@AchinaHehua0704) February 17, 2026
photos are via YouTube and Twitter
Well it started out as a sad story but it’s ending up being a really happy story of Punch and his emotional support orangutan and his transition into the troop. Good for you Punch🐒!!
OMG – the video of him being groomed by the adult was everything, he was like ‘yeah go for it babes’. The sniff and check to make sure he had a clean butt was such a momma thing to do.
He’s going to be alright!!
omgggg so cute and I was really worried for a second there, but whew. rollercoaster, indeed
Punch is so cute and I’m completely obsessed. I’m so happy he’s starting to integrate into his troop. Him and his plushie all by themselves was breaking my heart.
This brought a tear to my dry itchy eyes. How dare some so called humans say there creatures have no self awareness??