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Punch, a younger Japanese macaque at Ichikawa Metropolis Zoo, turned viral for carrying his orangutan plush Oran-mama. His journey from abandonment to acceptance impressed tens of millions.
Punch, a younger Japanese macaque at Ichikawa Metropolis Zoo, turned viral for carrying his orangutan plush Oran-mama. His journey from abandonment to acceptance impressed tens of millions. (Picture: X)
Punch, a child Japanese macaque from Ichikawa Metropolis Zoo in Japan, has melted hearts worldwide after movies confirmed him clinging to a stuffed orangutan toy following abandonment by his mom.
Born in July 2025, Punch was rejected by his organic mom shortly after delivery. Zookeepers needed to step in to hand-rear the tiny macaque, making certain he was fed and cared for in the course of the essential early weeks of his life.
To offer consolation, caretakers launched an opulent orangutan toy — reportedly an IKEA mushy toy — into his enclosure. Punch rapidly grew connected to it, hugging it tightly, carrying it in every single place and even sleeping with it. The toy quickly turned his fixed companion, with many on-line affectionately calling it his “surrogate mom.”
Movies of Punch cuddling the stuffed animal started circulating on social media, triggering an emotional response from viewers throughout the globe. The hashtag #HangInTherePunch gained traction as customers expressed sympathy for the deserted monkey and admiration for his resilience.
Meet Punch, a monkey in a Japanese zoo with a tragic story. His mom left him when he was a child, so caretakers raised him. He struggled to stay with different monkeys. Workers gave him a mushy toy for consolation, and now he holds it shut, spending most of his time alone. pic.twitter.com/hQxptQ8kZs— The Web page Z (@ThePageZ_) February 16, 2026
The viral fame additionally introduced renewed consideration to the zoo, with guests turning as much as catch a glimpse of the younger macaque and his beloved plush companion.
In a heartwarming improvement, zoo officers not too long ago confirmed that Punch has begun integrating into his troop. Caretakers noticed one other monkey grooming him — a key signal of social bonding and acceptance amongst primates. New footage reveals Punch enjoying and interacting extra confidently with different macaques.
Regardless of discovering companionship inside the troop, Punch nonetheless retains his stuffed toy shut, a logo of consolation throughout a troublesome begin to life. His journey from abandonment to viral sensation and at last discovering a social household has change into a touching story of resilience that continues to soften hearts on-line.
February 21, 2026, 20:02 IST
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