India, February 19 (HBTV): Millions of internet users and zookeepers across the world are celebrating as the tiny abandoned baby monkey in Japan, known as ‘Punch,’ appears to have finally found acceptance among his troop.
Punch, originally named ‘Panchi-kun,’ is a baby Japanese macaque at Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan. He recently made international headlines after videos and images showed him carrying a stuffed orangutan toy for comfort.
Reports stated that Punch was abandoned by his mother shortly after birth in July 2025. In the wild, abandonment by a mother significantly reduces a newborn monkey’s chances of survival. However, keepers at the zoo hand-raised him, bottle-fed him and ensured his survival.
Although he grew physically healthy, Punch reportedly struggled to integrate when reintroduced to other macaques. Monkeys are highly social animals dependent on their troop, and Punch was said to have difficulty displaying typical social behaviours. He was often left alone or chased away.
To provide emotional comfort, zookeepers gave him a plush orangutan toy. While they could meet his physical needs such as food, water and shelter, they could not replicate maternal bonding. The toy soon became his constant companion.
Videos showed Punch carrying the toy everywhere, hugging it while sleeping and holding it close whenever he felt nervous. Attempts to reintegrate him into a troop initially proved unsuccessful, with Punch retreating to the toy whenever other monkeys rejected him.
In mid-January, however, reports indicated a turning point. Punch was seen being hugged and groomed by another monkey for the first time — a significant gesture in primate social behavior that signals acceptance into a group.
Subsequent updates suggested he had been successfully introduced to a group of macaques at the zoo, though he continued to keep his plush companion nearby as he adjusted.
Recent videos shared by the zoo show Punch spending more time among other monkeys. Around January 19, he was reportedly groomed by an adult monkey, marking what observers described as his formal acceptance into the troop.
The development has been welcomed with joy online, as many who followed his story expressed relief that the once-isolated baby monkey may finally have found a family.