A baby macaque in Japan has taken the world by storm as videos have emerged of him holding on to a plush toy. The baby macaque, named Punch-kun, is a resident of the Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Gardens in Chiba Prefecture who has gained popularity for carrying a plush orangutan with him wherever he goes.
Punch was born in July 2025 and abandoned by his mother shortly after birth. Since the mother is essential for the baby macaques' protection and development, the zoo authorities decided to take care of Punch.
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A toy that became comfort
Struggling to integrate with the troop, Punch was often seen approaching other monkeys in search of companionship but being ignored or pushed away. Caretakers eventually introduced an IKEA DJUNGELSKOG orangutan plush to provide comfort, a toy he now rarely leaves behind.
In one widely shared clip, Punch crawls around while trying to make the stuffed toy "hug" him, a moment that resonated with viewers across social media platforms.
The plush toy is a part of IKEA’s DJUNGELSKOG series, which has a wildlife theme, measuring around 66 centimeters in length, reported NewsX. Known for its stretched arms and plush and soft body, it is designed to resemble actual apes holding tree trunks. IKEA officials are believed to have visited the zoo with more plush toys after the viral sensation, further fuelling Punch's story.
Viral videos prompt zoo clarification
As the videos gained traction, the zoo issued a detailed statement explaining the behaviour captured online.
"This is a statement from the zookeepers at the Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Gardens. We have confirmed that several videos have gone viral on the internet. When Punch approached another baby monkey from the troop in 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 added, "The adult monkey that dragged Punch is probably the mother of the monkey with whom Punch tried to communicate. She probably felt that her baby was annoyed by Punch and got upset, expressing "don't be mean.""
昨日(2/19)に撮影されたと思われる
— 市川市動植物園（公式） (@ichikawa_zoo) February 20, 2026
「パンチが群れのサルに引きずられている動画」について
添付をご一読ください。#市川市動植物園#市川ファン#がんばれパンチ pic.twitter.com/rT128eCraj
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Learning to socialise
According to the zoo, such interactions are part of Punch's gradual integration into the troop. Staff noted that he has experienced similar discipline before and continues attempting to socialise.
"The video was probably recorded on the morning of February 19. During feeding time at 12 pm and 3 pm, Punch acted no differently than on any other day."
"In order to integrate Punch into other Japanese monkey troops, we anticipated that this kind of challenge may arise. Although Punch has been scolded many times by other monkeys, no single monkey has shown serious aggression toward him," the zoo added.
They concluded, "While Punch is scolded, he shows resilience and mental strength. When you observe these disciplinary behaviors from other troop members toward Punch when he tries to communicate with them, we would like you to support Punch's effort rather than feel sorry for him."
