Punch Was Attacked By Another Monkey And Immediately Returned To His Plush Toy For Comfort…
Punch was born on 26 July 2025 at the Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Garden in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Tragically, his mother rejected him shortly after birth — a rare but documented occurrence in macaques. Without maternal care, Punch might not have survived on his own.
Zookeepers stepped in, hand-raising him with bottle feedings and lots of attention. But the emotional gap left by his mother’s absence was still there.
🧸 Finding Comfort in a Plush Toy
To help ease Punch’s stress and anxiety, caretakers gave him a stuffed orangutan toy. The tiny monkey immediately clung to it — carrying the plush everywhere, cuddling it while sleeping and exploring his surroundings. The toy became his sense of security in an unfamiliar, intimidating world without a mother.
Videos of Punch holding the toy tightly spread rapidly on social media, turning him into a viral sensation as people around the world empathized with his plight.
💔 Rejected by Peers — Then Comforted Again
In mid-January 2026, zookeepers began introducing Punch to other macaques in his enclosure — a crucial step for his long-term social development. At first, things didn’t go smoothly.
According to recent viral clips, a larger, more dominant monkey ambushed Punch while he was eating, dragging him across the ground in a shocking scene. Frightened and overwhelmed, Punch instinctively ran straight back to his plush toy, wrapping his small arms around it for comfort — much like a child would cling to a favorite blanket in distress.
This moment, while upsetting, also highlighted the emotional bond Punch had formed with his toy — and how important that bond was for him as he navigated social challenges.