Why? Because he won’t let go of his stuffed orangutan.
Punch the macaque was born last July at Ichikawa City Zoo in Ichikawa, Japan. Shortly after his birth, he was abandoned by his mother.
Keepers stepped in to hand-raise him, bottle-feeding him and monitoring him closely during those fragile first months.
What began as a practical attempt to soothe an anxious infant monkey has evolved into one of the more devoted partnerships of 2026.
Punch doesn’t just like the toy, he grips onto it with the conviction of someone who’s already chosen their forever companion.
He naps with it. He eats with it. He toddles around his enclosure with it tucked under his arm like a very small, very furry executive carrying a briefcase.
People are now flocking to the zoo to watch the pair, to the extent that zoo staff had to apologise for entrance delays due to the unexpected turnout.
There’s something endearingly familiar about a tiny creature refusing to go anywhere without emotional backup. Even more heart-melting is that it is a substitute for a mother’s love.
*🐵*――――――――――*🔥*
✊#がんばれパンチ
*🔥*――――――――――*🐵*イケア・ジャパン株式会社より、本市動植物園のニホンザル「パンチ」が持ち歩く馴染みのぬいぐるみ等が贈呈されました☺️
頂いたぬいぐるみも心の支えにして、少しずつ群れに馴染んでほしいですね✨
これからも皆で応援しましょう💖 https://t.co/3DhEEHy6qi pic.twitter.com/XDwICCgLD7— 市川市 (@ichikawa_shi) February 18, 2026
Users on X have had an outpouring of emotion for the macaque
@luvu2golka: “stop showing me that little monkey being bullied by other monkeys i know he finally got a hug from one but i am not in a mental place to see it i will fly to japan and beat up the mean monkeys”
Zoo staff say the toy helped ease Punch-kun’s anxiety and gave him a sense of security while he adjusted to life without his mother. Encouragingly, he’s slowly becoming more confident and has started interacting with other monkeys.
Miyakoshi Shunpei, a zookeeper in charge of Japanese macaques, told TV Asahi“At first, Punch himself seemed nervous, and he was always clinging to the stuffed animal. But as the days went by, he started to wander away from the stuffed animal and go to other monkeys. He’s a very mentally strong monkey.”
The story has travelled far beyond Chiba. IKEA Japan reportedly sent additional stuffed toys after the images went viral.
Punch may be small, but in a world that can feel uncertain, he’s made one thing very clear: everyone deserves something, or someone, that makes them feel safe.
