Have you ever heard of Punch the Monkey? He’s also known as Panchi-kun, and he is a 7-month-old Japanese macaque at Ichikawa Zoo in Japan.
I’m pretty sure you’ve seen photos and maybe even watched viral videos of him. To be honest, when I saw the posts about him, I was quite devastated to see how alone and bullied he was.
Image Credit: David Mareuil/Anadolu
If you’re not familiar with this story, no worries. Let me tell you about him.
Punch is a Japanese macaque who was born on July 26, 2025, at Ichikawa Zoo in Japan. Sadly, he was rejected by his mother when he was just a baby.
After he was abandoned, zookeepers began caring for him. They fed him with a baby bottle, and two caretakers worked together to raise him.
On January 19, 2026, Punch was introduced to a large group of other monkeys at the zoo, but he had a tough time fitting in. He showed signs of anxiety and loneliness without a mom to guide him.
To help Punch feel less anxious and to teach him how to socialize, the zookeepers gave him a Djungelskog orangutan plushie from IKEA to hug.
Image Credit: JIJI PRESS
Over time, he became really close to this toy, and videos show him clinging to and treating it as a surrogate mother.
In videos, you can see older monkeys pushing him around and chasing him. Punch would often wander alone with his toy, and it was hard to watch. But one zookeeper mentioned that Punch was “mentally strong,” even when the other monkeys sometimes ignored him.
On February 5, 2026, the zoo shared Punch’s story online, and it quickly became famous.
More pictures of him with his orangutan toy went viral, and many people started using the hashtag #HangInTherePunch. The stuffed toy even got nicknames like “Oran-Mama.”
On February 17, IKEA representatives visited the zoo and donated 33 more stuffed toys to Punch! His favorite orangutan toy became so popular that it sold out in many countries and was even resold on eBay for over $350.
People (including me) were relieved to see later videos of another monkey grooming and comforting Punch.
By February 23, 2026, the zoo announced that Punch was playing with other monkeys and could eat on his own.
That’s great news, right?
On February 27, Google added a fun new animation to searches for “punch the monkey” Now, when you look it up, you’ll see a monkey icon that moves around. The screen is also showered with bright pink hearts coming down from the top.
Try it!
Now, you might wonder why monkeys abandon their babies.
Alison Behie, a primatology expert at Australian National University, said that the way other monkeys treated Punch isn’t bullying; it’s just how monkeys interact socially.
Behie explains that Japanese macaques, also known as snow monkeys, have a strong family system in which females from higher-ranking families are in charge and can be aggressive towards those from lower-ranking families.
This means that even if Punch is with his mom, he might still experience this aggressive behavior from others.
Behie also mentioned that without his mother, Punch might not learn to behave properly around other monkeys. This could affect how he fits in with the group when he grows up.
Recently, many people have been visiting the Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan to see Punch. Because of the larger crowds, the zoo has set up stricter fences around Punch’s area.
They’ve also asked people to be quiet, not use tall ladders or tripods for pictures, and to keep their visits short.
Carla Litchfield, a conservation psychologist at Adelaide University, said that Punch’s story shows how important it is to consider animals’ living conditions, the effects of climate change, and animal welfare in zoos.
She hopes that all the attention on social media won’t lead to more people trying to buy baby monkeys illegally as pets.
Now, did you know that Punch isn’t the first zoo animal to become famous?
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