See Punch the monkey find more friends
Viral monkey Punch shows new social behavior by approaching other monkeys on his own, according to the Ichikawa City Zoo.
Punch the monkey fans can put their hearts and minds at ease: The once-abandoned baby macaque is making more and more friends, according to his caretakers. So many, in fact, that he may be outgrowing his beloved stuffed companion.
Japan’s Ichikawa City Zoo said on Thursday, March 26, that Punch, who struggled fitting in with other monkeys at first, is “integrating” into a group of fellow macaques.
“Recently, he has started to actively approach the other monkeys on his own, trying to communicate with them, and actually playing together with them,” Takashi Yasunaga, head of Ichikawa Zoo and gardens division, told Reuters. “We’ve been seeing many more scenes like that, and as caretakers, we find that very encouraging.”
The saga of Punch, the orphaned baby monkey
Punch, the viral baby monkey, was born at Japan’s Ichikawa City Zoo on July 26, 2025. Punch’s mother abandoned him at birth, a rare occurrence for macaques. In hopes of consoling the orphan, zoo staff gave him a stuffed orangutan to serve as his surrogate “Mother.” Punch took the world by storm after images of him dragging the orange plushy behind him circulated on social media, causing such a stir that the zoo has since made special rules to accommodate the influx of visitors. The orphan was first placed in the enclosure with other macaques on Jan. 19. Fitting in with his new environment has been a bit difficult for Punch.
“At first, he was constantly holding on to an orangutan plush toy, and there were moments when he seemed frightened of his surroundings,” Yasunaga said on March 26. “It’s been about two months now, and little by little, we feel that the process of integrating him into the group is progressing gradually.”
Hearts ached for the lonely baby monkey, who unwittingly ignited a firestorm online after a video was posted of another, larger macaque getting rough with him on Feb. 19. Devoted fans expressed heartbreak, with many joking that they would travel to the zoo to “save” him. While the zoo reassured fans that Punch had experienced a normal form of discipline and behavior correction in the clip, people from all over the world have continued to track the monkey’s progress, celebrating rumors of a “girlfriend” and cheering on his growing relationships with troop mates.
Zoo announces stricter rules for visiting Punch
Ishikawa City Zoo, a relatively small zoo in Ishikawa, Japan, has spent the past few months ramping up its infrastructure to handle the influx of guests eager to catch a glimpse of Punch.
On March 19, the zoo released updated guidelines for visiting Monkey Mountain. The new rules advise guests to spend only about 10 minutes in the front row of the enclosure to give others a chance to see Punch, too. The zoo also asks guests not to livestream video of the monkey enclosure or take photos or videos of zookeepers working.
The rules not only give visitors a fair chance at spotting Punch, but they are also formulated to reduce any possible stress on the macaques in the enclosure.
“When so many people’s eyes are focused on the monkey enclosure, the monkeys get stressed… We’ve established viewing rules around the monkey area, increased staff numbers to help guide and manage the flow of visitors,” Yasunaga said.
Contributing: Reuters
