Baby Monkey Takes World by Storm
If you have been on the internet within the past few weeks, there is a good chance that you’ve heard of a certain adorable primate. A monkey, otherwise known as ‘Punch’, is a Japanese Macaque located in the Ichikawa City Zoo and has captured the attention of millions globally. The images of this lonely baby ape clinging to his stuffed orangutan have gone viral and several journalists, paparazzi, and tourists have hopped on flights to Japan to catch a glimpse of the infamous macaque. But who exactly is this little cutie, and just how has he managed to steal the world’s hearts?
Who is Punch?
Born on July 26, 2025, Punch was abandoned by his mother and raised by zookeepers at the Ichikawa Zoo. Unfortunately for Punch, macaques are known to have a strong dependency on their mothers. In an attempt to ease his grief caused by an absent maternal figure, zookeepers gave Punch an orangutan plush from IKEA to hold for comfort. This popularity of the story led to IKEA selling out of the plush toy.
“We thought that its resemblance to a monkey might help Punch integrate back into the troop later on, and that’s why we chose it”, says zookeeper Kosuke Shikano.
Over the past couple of weeks, videos of Punch being dragged around by other macaques in his enclosure have sparked reactions of both outrage and sympathy among the public. Despite the images depicting what appears to be ‘bullying’, the zoo assures Punch fans that the social tribulations thrust onto him are a natural part of his integration into the troop.
With his steady progress in social integration, Shikano anticipates Punch potentially may no longer need to cling to his plush friend.
“I think there will come a day when he no longer needs his stuffed toy,” predicts Shikano.
Punch’s 15 minutes of fame
Since Punch’s big break, the #TheHangInTherePunch hashtag has surged the internet, and currently has 1,327 posts on TikTok. Videos of Punch have scored millions of views on social media networks such as TikTok and Instagram. The story about the world’s favorite monkey even drew the attention of the hit show Saturday Night Live (SNL) in a segment on “Weekend Update” with Colin Jost and Michael Che. The bit starred SNL’s Marcello Hernández as the lovable chimp and Sarah Sherman as his absentee mother.
Succumbing to the monkey mania, IKEA Japan donated dozens of their signature plushes to the Ichikawa Zoo.
Punch’s Future
While now closely monitored by the world, only time will tell what is in store for Punch.
Personally, I think a huge reason why Punch has garnered so much attraction, is the admiration for the strength in his perseverance. At some point in time, I believe all of us have seen a version of ourselves (past or present) in Punch. Typically, people love to root for the underdog or in this case: undermonkey.
As social creatures, it’s only natural for our hearts to ache when we witness one struggle to find community. True to the tag, hang in there, Punch, we’re all rooting for you!