Bullied baby monkey 'Punch' slowly makes new friends, still won’t let go of plush toy
Aradhana Jha | Times Life Bureau | Feb 23, 2026, 17:00 IST
Bullied baby monkey 'Punch' slowly makes new friends, still won’t let go of plush toy
Punch, a young Japanese macaque, has become an internet sensation. Rejected at birth and facing aggression from other macaques, he finds solace in a plush toy. This heartwarming story has captivated millions online. Visitors are now flocking to the zoo to see Punch and his beloved toy. He is slowly integrating with the group, showing signs of progress and resilience.
A young Japanese macaque named Punch has emerged as an unexpected symbol of hope, following his emotional experience at a zoo in Japan that has attracted the attention of the world. The young primate, who was said to have been rejected by his mother moments after birth, has been raised by zoo officials. Punch’s experience has been gaining traction on the internet over the past few weeks, attracting millions of views and comments.
Punch’s life has not been an easy one. As he started to interact with other macaques in his enclosure, footage emerged showing older macaques acting aggressively towards him. The videos, which emerged quickly on the internet and went viral, showed Punch being pushed around and trying to find his place among the group of macaques.
In the midst of all this tension, Punch has found solace in an unexpected friend, an orange plush toy that has been gifted to him by the zoo authorities. Since then, the baby macaque has been spotted with the plush toy in his hands most of the time. He holds it close to his heart, takes it around the enclosure, and even holds it close to him when he is stressed. The heartwarming sight of the baby macaque holding on to his plush toy friend has touched the hearts of many on social media, where pictures and videos of Punch have been flooding the sites.
Caption of the post read, “Had to see for myself ...Today I watched Punch-kun for quite a while and even though he is by himself a lot he seems to be making friends and slowly integrating into the group. Not much bullying to see so hopefully he keeps getting stronger and stronger agOf course he still carries around his plushie but sometimes he leaves it on the other side of the enclosure while playing around and looking for wooden sticks.”
It further read, “Am I deeply invested in Punch's life? Yes. Is it necessary? Also yes.
So are many others because it was pretty busy today and it seems like everyone is rooting for Punch. Edit: Only had eyes for Punch editing this and accidentally put in an explicit monkey scene.”
The rise in popularity on social media has also resulted in a rise in the number of visitors who are eager to catch a glimpse of Punch and his plush toy friend. Many people have made special trips to the zoo to see the baby macaque and his plush toy. One such visitor has posted an update after making the special trip to the zoo. According to her post, although some monkeys are still quite rough around Punch, he has started to bond with some of the other monkeys in the group.
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Punch’s life has not been an easy one. As he started to interact with other macaques in his enclosure, footage emerged showing older macaques acting aggressively towards him. The videos, which emerged quickly on the internet and went viral, showed Punch being pushed around and trying to find his place among the group of macaques.
In the midst of all this tension, Punch has found solace in an unexpected friend, an orange plush toy that has been gifted to him by the zoo authorities. Since then, the baby macaque has been spotted with the plush toy in his hands most of the time. He holds it close to his heart, takes it around the enclosure, and even holds it close to him when he is stressed. The heartwarming sight of the baby macaque holding on to his plush toy friend has touched the hearts of many on social media, where pictures and videos of Punch have been flooding the sites.
Caption of the post read, “Had to see for myself ...Today I watched Punch-kun for quite a while and even though he is by himself a lot he seems to be making friends and slowly integrating into the group. Not much bullying to see so hopefully he keeps getting stronger and stronger agOf course he still carries around his plushie but sometimes he leaves it on the other side of the enclosure while playing around and looking for wooden sticks.”
It further read, “Am I deeply invested in Punch's life? Yes. Is it necessary? Also yes.
So are many others because it was pretty busy today and it seems like everyone is rooting for Punch. Edit: Only had eyes for Punch editing this and accidentally put in an explicit monkey scene.”
The rise in popularity on social media has also resulted in a rise in the number of visitors who are eager to catch a glimpse of Punch and his plush toy friend. Many people have made special trips to the zoo to see the baby macaque and his plush toy. One such visitor has posted an update after making the special trip to the zoo. According to her post, although some monkeys are still quite rough around Punch, he has started to bond with some of the other monkeys in the group.
Explore the latest trends and tips in Health & Fitness, Spiritual, Travel, Life Hacks, Trending, Fashion & Beauty, and Relationships at Times Life!