The new baby on Monkey Mountain waddled across the enclosure and climbed up to say hi to the little guy this week — and Punch just let it happen, calm as anything. The baby who once had nobody is now the one a tinier baby chose to come find. What a glow-up.
ABC News made the trip out to Ichikawa to check in on the little guy in person. Head keeper Takashi Yasunaga says the number of monkeys Punch is getting along with is growing day by day — and these days he barely needs his plushie at all.
The little guy who once needed everyone else to protect him just became the hero! When a bigger monkey attacked his friend Moe near a cliff edge, Punch climbed up and knocked the bully right off. Moe wrapped him in the biggest hug right after. From rescued to rescuer!
The little guy was spotted kissing, cuddling, and playing with a female macaque named Momo-chan — and fans are absolutely losing it. From abandoned baby to zoo heartthrob!
🧸 Get Punch's Plushie
The same orangutan plushie that helped a tiny abandoned macaque feel safe in the world.
Punch accidentally fell into the pond before feeding time, but his friends Moe and Momiage hugged him right after. By evening he was running around and eating like nothing happened!
As the zoo PA announces closing time and wishes visitors a safe trip home, the little guy lifts his tiny arm and waves goodbye — like he's personally seeing everyone off. 2.6 million views in a single day!
When the keepers offered the little guy a brand-new IKEA orangutan, he wasn't having it — clung to his original Ora-mama and wouldn't let go. Some bonds you just can't replace!
Overtime's recap of how far the little guy has come — from alone with his plushie to accepted by the troop.
PBS NewsHour tells Punch's full story
Stephanie Sy covers the whole arc for PBS — from abandonment and the plushie, through the bullying and the heartbreak, to the unlikely friendships that are giving the little guy a real shot at troop life. Beautifully done.
Meet Go-chan: the circus monkey who chose to protect Punch
The story behind Punch's guardian — Go-chan lived through a circus, was bullied so badly the stress left marks on his body, and never fit in with the troop. Then he met Punch. Now he never leaves his side.
Overtime's feel-good recap of Punch's full arc — from sitting alone with his plushie to being welcomed into the troop. The little guy who once had no one now has real friends, real family.
What the zoo actually says about Punch's development
CBS News gets the keeper's side of things — why the troop dynamics work the way they do, and why his stuffed 'surrogate mom' has been so important to the little guy's healing process.
Something remarkable: Punch is spotted walking upright through the enclosure — a skill unusual for macaques his age. A quiet sign that the little survivor is growing stronger every day.
Footage shows Onsing — the adult who gave Punch his first real hug — now positioned protectively at his side in the enclosure. The abandoned baby monkey is no longer navigating troop life alone.
BBC reports that after weeks of rejection, Punch is being accepted by the troop — the abandoned baby who broke millions of hearts is making real friends.
