Abandoned baby monkey finds new stuffed animal bestie in viral clips – but things are more tragic than they seem
Ichikawa, Japan - The sad and touching story of the baby monkey named Punch is currently attracting large numbers of visitors to a Japanese zoo.
In the monkey enclosure at the zoo in the city of Ichikawa, just east of the Japanese capital Tokyo, no primate stands out more than the little macaque called Punch.
This is due to his constant companion, a stuffed toy orangutan – and Punch won't go anywhere without him.
What looks like a sweet friendship between animal and toy in the pictures and videos published by the zoo, however, has a sad history.
According to the zoo, Punch was rejected by his biological mother after his birth on July 26, 2025, and had to be raised by human hands.
In mid-January, he was allowed to join the other monkeys – but the little macaque found it difficult to integrate into the group of his fellows and he was rejected again.
The zookeepers, therefore, gave him a plush friend, and it seems that Punch is finally a bit less lonesome.
Since then, the little guy has gained even more friends in the form of countless online fans after the story went viral.
Cover photo: Collage: Screenshots/X/@ichikawa_zoo