A baby monkey named Punch has become the center of attention on social media. Punch is a baby monkey at Ichikawa Zoo in Japan.
A macaque monkey at Ichikawa Zoo in Japan went viral after being abandoned by its mother. The tragic incident ultimately led it to seek refuge in a stuffed orangutan provided by zoo staff.
“Currently, there is a little monkey holding a stuffed animal in its enclosure,” announced the official X account of Ichikawa City Zoo, Japan, introducing the young monkey named Punch, as quoted by Japanese media outlet The Mainichi.
Punch, a 6-month-old male monkey, was taken in by zookeepers after his mother refused to care for him. The adorable image of Punch holding the stuffed orangutan as a substitute for his mother touched many hearts, sparking the hashtag “#HangInTherePunch.”
Why Punch Was Rejected by His Own Mother
Punch’s mother had a difficult birth. Punch was born on July 26, 2025, weighing 500 grams. His mother was exhausted after giving birth to her first calf in the hot summer sun. It is suspected that this is why she showed no signs of wanting to care for her baby. The next day, zookeepers Kosuke Shikano, 24, and Shumpei Miyakoshi, 34, began caring for the baby.
According to Shikano, infant abandonment by monkeys occurs in some percentage.
“The burden of the first birth may be a factor. In the mountain monkey group, other mothers sometimes take over abandoned infants, so we observed Punch from a distance on the day of the birth, but there was no sign of any other monkeys wanting to care for him. Since Punch was healthy, we temporarily separated him from the other monkeys and began feeding him milk.”
Why Did Punch the Monkey Choose the Orangutan Doll?
How have zoo staff raised Punch over the past six months?
They raised Punch around other monkeys so he could eventually integrate smoothly into the monkey group on the mountain.
Monkeys begin clinging to their mother’s fur shortly after birth for comfort and to build muscle. Since Punch didn’t have this opportunity, zookeepers said they tried substitutes, including rolled-up towels and various stuffed animals. Among these, Punch favored the orangutan doll.
“The doll’s fur makes it easy to hold, and its appearance is also similar to a monkey, which likely provides a sense of security,” Shikano said.
At night, after the zookeepers leave, Punch spends time with the orangutan doll, snuggling up to sleep.
“The stuffed animal is a surrogate mother,” Shikano commented.