Slowly but surely, Punch seems to be catching on with his fellow dogs.Image: keystone
Mar 5, 2026, 4:03 p.mMarch 5, 2026, 4:10 p.m
Panchi-kun, better known as “Punch,” has been the star of the Ichikawa Zoo in Japan for several weeks. The little Japanese macaque captured people’s hearts after it was revealed that he had been abandoned by his mother. A video that went viral on social media then showed Punch walking around with a stuffed orangutan instead. However, there is now a welcome update in the case of the outcast monkey.
Video: Watson/Lucas Zollinger
Punch was born on July 26th last year and was abandoned by his mother. The monkey was then raised by hand. On January 19, 2026, he was let into the enclosure with his peers for the first time. The merger didn’t go well for Punch from the start. The other monkeys in the enclosure seemed to avoid him, and in certain video clips you can even see him being pushed away or attacked. He then sought refuge with his plush orangutan.
Punch and his plush orangutan.Image: X / @ichikawa_zoo
Punch gets closer to his own species
But now there seems to be hope for Punch. As the pictures show, the seven-month-old monkey needs his toys less and less and is starting to make friends with other macaques in the zoo. Punch is said to have recently been observed climbing onto the back of another monkey, sitting with the adults and even allowing himself to be petted or hugged.
Punch seems to be slowly making friends with his fellow dogs.Image: keystone
According to that Guardian This development is also a joy for the zookeepers who raised Punch: “Helping Punch learn the rules of monkey society and be accepted as a member is our most important task,” said Kosuke Kano, a 24-year-old zookeeper at the zoo.
Punch with older macaques.Image: keystone
There is still speculation as to why Punch was rejected by his mother. Alison Behie, a primatologist at the Australian National University, told the English newspaper that the cubs’ abandonment was unusual but could happen under certain circumstances. She further explained:
«In Punch’s case, the mother was a first-time mother, which indicates inexperience. “The zookeepers also suspect that Punch was born during a heat wave, which is a very stressful situation.”
Plush orangutan sold out in the USA
Videos of Punch have spread around the world in recent weeks. As a result, the zoo became so overrun with visitors that it had to start introducing additional rules. Onlookers are only allowed to stand around the monkeys’ enclosure for a maximum of ten minutes and are asked to remain quiet.
But Punch wasn’t just a financial success for the zoo. The plush orangutan that the monkey carried with him in the videos also became a trend product. The stuffed animal is the so-called “Djungelskog” from Ikea. According to CNN, the $19.99 plush toy is currently sold out in almost all US stores. In Switzerland the monkey costs 14.95 francs and is still normally available.
This plush toy is currently very popular in the USA.Image: ikea