Punch-kun: abandoned baby monkey finds comfort in orangutan plush
At Ichikawa City Zoo, Punch-kun’s early weeks were marked by rejection and isolation. Keepers say the small comfort he carries, a bright orange orangutan plush, has helped him cope as he slowly learns to approach the troop.
- A seven-month-old Japanese snow monkey named Punch-kun was abandoned by his mother and rejected by his troop at a zoo.
- Zookeepers gave him an orangutan plush toy as a substitute for a mother's embrace, which he carried everywhere for comfort.
- After a period of isolation, Punch-kun is now showing signs of being accepted by the troop and is starting to leave the plush toy behind.
It has become a heart-wrenching viral story worldwide: the life of “Punch-kun”, a seven-month-old Japanese snow monkey at Ichikawa City Zoo, after he was abandoned by his mother and rejected by the troop, leaving him to carry an “orangutan plush toy” everywhere and hold it close as a substitute for a mother’s embrace.
Online users have rallied behind him with supportive hashtags.
Most recently, there have been encouraging signs, with other monkeys beginning to open up and allow him to join the group.
The story of “Punch-kun” drew widespread attention after visitors to Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, shared photos of a tiny snow monkey dragging an orange orangutan plush toy wherever he went.
Zoo staff later revealed the sad background: Punch-kun was rejected by his biological mother from a very young age.
The result was an image that was both adorable and heartbreaking to those who saw it.
Punch-kun’s biggest challenge has not only been loneliness, but a lack of “social skills” that baby monkeys normally learn from their mothers.
When staff tried to reintroduce him to the troop, other monkeys ignored him; at times, he was even bullied.
Punch-kun would retreat to sit and hug his plush toy, watching other monkeys play from a distance, an isolated scene that left many social media users teary-eyed.
Now, fans who have been following Punch-kun’s life have reason to cheer.
Clear signs of improvement have emerged: Punch-kun has started to dare to leave the plush toy behind him and approach other monkeys in the troop more often.
By instinct, a baby monkey at this age needs physical contact; an “embrace” is vital to its emotional well-being, so staff provided an orangutan plush toy for Punch-kun to hold and cuddle, as a stand-in for a mother’s warmth.
Most importantly, some “female monkeys” in the group have begun to show “grooming” behaviour towards Punch-kun.
Among Japanese macaques, grooming is one of the strongest signals of acceptance into the group and the beginning of lasting friendships.
Although Punch-kun still clings to the plush toy at times, his growing confidence has led many to believe that, before long, he will grow into a strong monkey who no longer needs the toy as a source of comfort.
The zoo continues to monitor Punch-kun closely and is working to encourage natural learning behaviours, so he can eventually live fully as part of the troop.
His story has also attracted strong interest from both Japanese and international visitors, many of whom have travelled specifically to cheer the little monkey on.
