Aaarghhhh… I don’t like monkeys but this abandoned baby monkey is really breaking my heart!
If you’ve spent any time on social media in the past few weeks, you’ve probably already fallen in love with Punch.
Punch-kun — or simply “Punch” as his fans call him — is an eight-month-old Japanese macaque living at Ichikawa City Zoo near Tokyo, and he has done something remarkable: he has broken the internet, not with a trick or a stunt, but simply by being heartbreakingly, undeniably lonely.
And somehow, watching him cling to a stuffed orangutan toy has reminded millions of people what it feels like to need a hug.
Who Is Punch?
Punch was born on July 26, 2025, at Ichikawa City Zoo. Almost immediately after his birth, his mother abandoned him — likely due to it being her first litter, or possibly because the brutal summer heat had drained her stamina.
Whatever the reason, the result was the same: a tiny, vulnerable infant left completely alone.
Zoo staff stepped in immediately and began hand-raising him.
They tried giving him towels and various soft toys to cling to — because baby macaques instinctively cling to their mothers for safety and muscle development — but Punch wasn’t interested in just anything.
He chose a long-legged stuffed orangutan, which appears to be IKEA‘s beloved Djungelskog plush.
“It was easy for him to grab,” a zookeeper told Fuji TV. “Maybe he also liked that it looked like a monkey.”
That stuffed animal became Punch’s whole world.
On January 19, 2026, after months of being raised in an artificial environment, Punch was introduced to a troop of Japanese macaques — the first step toward giving him a real life with his own kind. It hasn’t been easy.
But Punch, bless his little heart, keeps trying.
The Video That Broke Everyone’s Heart
In mid-February 2026, footage began circulating on social media showing Punch being dragged across the ground by a larger adult monkey — spun in circles before he could scramble free and run to his stuffed orangutan for comfort, seemingly trying to hide behind it.
The internet did not take this well.
Comments flooded in from worried fans.
People called it bullying.
Some called it abuse.
The hashtag #HangInTherePunch spread across X (formerly Twitter), and within days, Ichikawa City Zoo was flooded with visitors who drove hours just to stand at the monkey enclosure and shout encouragement at a baby who couldn’t understand them — but who maybe, just maybe, felt the warmth anyway.
On February 20, 2026, the zoo issued an official statement.
What the Zoo Said
The zookeepers were careful and thoughtful in their response. According to their statement shared on X:
“When Punch approached another baby monkey from the troop in an 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 explained that the adult monkey who dragged him was likely the mother of the baby Punch had been trying to befriend — and that she was simply disciplining the situation the way macaques do.
In their troop dynamics, this is a form of social correction, not cruelty.
“She probably felt that her baby was annoyed by Punch and got upset, expressing ‘don’t be mean,'” the statement read.
The zoo also reassured everyone that after the incident, Punch returned to his stuffed toy only briefly — and then got right back up and rejoined the troop. During feeding time later that day, “Punch acted no differently than any other day.”
Their message to fans was direct:
“While Punch is scolded, he shows resilience and mental strength. When you observe the disciplinary behaviors from other troop members toward Punch when he tries to communicate with them, we would like you to support Punch’s efforts rather than feel sorry for him.”
Understanding Macaque Society: Why This Hurts So Much to Watch
To truly understand what Punch is going through, you have to understand how Japanese macaques — also called snow monkeys — actually live.
Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) are highly social primates.
They live in troops that can range from a dozen to over 100 individuals, and their entire world revolves around social bonds.
Within the troop, there is a strict dominance hierarchy — every monkey knows their rank, and rank determines everything: who eats first, who gets groomed, who gets access to warmth.
Here’s where Punch’s situation becomes genuinely heartbreaking. Baby macaques learn the rules of their troop from birth — through their mothers.
They observe, they mimic, they are guided. A mother carries her infant constantly in the early months, teaching by proximity. Through that contact, the baby learns:
- How to read other monkeys’ body language
- How to signal submission or playfulness
- Where they rank in the group
- Which adults are safe and which to avoid
- How to ask for grooming and social interaction
Punch had none of that. He was raised by humans. He missed the entire curriculum.
So when he was introduced to the troop at six months old, he walked in essentially as a social outsider — well-meaning, eager, but clueless about the unspoken rules that every other monkey had been learning since birth.
Of course he gets it wrong sometimes.
Of course he gets scolded.
What’s remarkable isn’t that he struggles. What’s remarkable is that he keeps trying.
What This Is Doing to Punch — And Why We Should Care
It would be easy to look at this situation and assume Punch must be suffering psychologically. And while the zoo has stressed that he shows no signs of serious distress, the reality is that early social deprivation in primates carries real risks.
Research on macaques and other primates has shown that infants who are separated from their mothers and raised in isolation — or even with limited social contact — can develop anxiety, difficulty reading social cues, and trouble forming bonds later in life.
They may engage in self-soothing behaviors, become hypervigilant, or struggle to integrate into groups even when given the opportunity.
The stuffed orangutan Punch clings to?
That’s called a contact comfort object — and it’s not unusual or shameful. Primatologists have long known that even a soft, surrogate object can help a baby primate regulate stress hormones. It doesn’t replace a mother. But it helps.
The good news is that Punch is being given exactly what he needs: time, exposure, and the chance to learn.
The zoo has been careful and intentional about his integration.
They anticipated the challenges.
They’re watching closely.
And crucially, the troop has not shown serious aggression toward him — scolding, yes, but not the kind of sustained rejection or violence that would signal he truly cannot be accepted.
He’s not broken.
He’s just a baby who had a harder start than most.
The World Shows Up for Punch
On February 20, 2026, more than 100 visitors gathered at the Ichikawa City Zoo monkey enclosure — some having driven two hours or more — just to see Punch with their own eyes.
“We rarely come to a zoo but we wanted to see cute Punch,” said Sayaka Takimoto, 32, who made the trip with her husband after seeing videos of the little monkey dragging his stuffed toy online.
A visitor named Yoko, 50, said she had studied Punch’s photos in advance so she could recognize him in the enclosure. “He’s so cute, so I had to come see him,” she told AFP. “It makes me a little sad he’s growing so fast, but I’m relieved to see he’s making friends.”
And then there was IKEA.
On February 17, 2026, Ichikawa City Mayor Ko Tanaka posted a photo on X alongside IKEA Japan President Petra Färe, surrounded by an enormous donation of IKEA stuffed animals for Punch and the other animals at the zoo. IKEA social media accounts around the globe joined in — IKEA Spain posted an edited image of the Djungelskog hugging Punch; IKEA Switzerland shared a similar post featuring their Sandlöpare stuffed chimpanzee.
If you want one for yourself, IKEA’s Djungelskog orangutan is available in stores and online for $20.
Macaques at a Glance: The Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Highly intelligent and expressive | Strict social hierarchies can be brutal to outsiders |
| Strong, long-lasting social bonds | Infants are entirely dependent on mothers for social learning |
| Adaptable — live in diverse environments across Japan | Can become aggressive within the troop when hierarchy is challenged |
| Fascinating to observe in the wild and in zoo settings | Orphaned or hand-raised individuals face significant reintegration challenges |
| Females often form tight-knit, multigenerational bonds | Troops can reject individuals who don’t “fit” the social code |
| Known for innovation — some troops famously learned to wash sweet potatoes | Conservation status and habitat loss remain ongoing concerns |
Key Facts About Punch
- Born: July 26, 2025, at Ichikawa City Zoo, Ichikawa, Japan (near Tokyo)
- Abandoned by his mother at birth — likely due to first-time motherhood or summer heat exhaustion
- Raised by zookeepers in an artificial environment
- Joined the macaque troop: January 19, 2026
- His comfort object: A stuffed orangutan, believed to be IKEA’s Djungelskog ($20)
- Viral moment: February 19, 2026 — video of him being dragged by an adult monkey spread globally
- Hashtag: #HangInTherePunch
- IKEA donation: February 17, 2026
- Zoo’s message: Support his efforts. Don’t pity him. He’s tougher than he looks.
How You Can Support Punch
Punch’s story has genuinely moved people — and that energy doesn’t have to stop at a social media post. Here’s how you can turn your love for this little guy into something real:
- Visit Ichikawa City Zoo if you’re in Japan — your admission supports the zoo directly
- Donate to Ichikawa City Zoo — check their official website for donation options
- Support primate conservation organizations such as the Primate Society of Japan or international groups like the Jane Goodall Institute, which works to protect primates worldwide
- Share accurate information about Punch’s story — the zoo has been clear that he is not being abused, and spreading panic can create pressure that actually harms his integration process
- Buy the Djungelskog — okay, it doesn’t directly help Punch, but it makes you feel close to him, and honestly, we all need a comfort object sometimes
There is something deeply human about Punch’s story — or maybe something deeply primate about it, which amounts to the same thing.
He was born into circumstances he didn’t choose.
He lost the one relationship that was supposed to teach him everything.
And now, every single day, he walks back into a social world that doesn’t quite speak his language yet, clutches his little stuffed friend when things get hard, and tries again.
The zoo is right.
Don’t feel sorry for him.
Feel inspired by him.
Hang in there, Punch. We’re all rooting for you.
Sources: Ichikawa City Zoo official statement (February 20, 2026); Agence France-Presse; USA TODAY; Yomiuri Shimbun; Fuji TV
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