EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A young Japanese macaque has won the hearts of millions on the Internet after viral videos show the animal bringing around his “comfort” stuffed orangutan toy.
Videos of the monkey, named Punch, show him dragging the toy around the enclosure at Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Gardens in Japan.
“Punch,” a young Japanese macaque monkey at the Ichikawa Zoo in Japan with his stuffed orangutan toy. Photo courtesy of Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Gardens.
According to the zoo, Punch was abandoned by his mother shortly after birth, and zookeepers stepped up to rear the primate by hand. Local news outlets have said Punch was given a stuffed animal as a “surrogate mother” for comfort.
Punch’s first introduction by the zoo was made earlier in February. The zoo has given updates to the public about his growth, including videos of the young primate interacting with the other monkeys.
Following the viral success of Punch’s story, the zoo noted an increase in visitors waiting in line to see the monkey.
In the latest news of the young primate, a video sparked concern and anger after one of the monkeys in the enclosure appeared to drag Punch. After being “scolded,” Punch ran to his stuffed comfort toy.
A day later, the zoo released a statement, explaining the situation.
The zoo said Punch approached another baby monkey at the enclosure and attempted to communicate with them, but the baby monkey avoided Punch. Punch then sat down, “apparently giving up on communicating with the monkey,” and was then scolded and dragged away by an adult monkey, possibly the mother.
“She probably felt that her baby was annoyed by Punch and got upset, expressing ‘don’t be mean,’” read the statement by Ichikawa Zoo.
The zoo confirmed that the incident happened in the morning, and Punch acted no differently throughout the day. They note that Punch is still trying to integrate into the troop and anticipate that challenges, such as the incident, may arise, but Punch has shown resilience and mental strength as he continues to try to communicate with the other monkeys.
Additionally, they highlight that while Punch has been scolded multiple times, no monkey has shown serious aggression toward him.
“We would like you to support Punch’s effort rather than feel sorry for him,” read the statement.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.