Who Is Punch The Monkey & Why Is Everyone Obsessed With Him?

The life of a tiny Japanese macaque monkey has been going viral as he tries to settle in and socialise with his fellow macaques at the Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan. This little baby and his Ikea stuffed orangutan have been shattering hearts every time we open TikTok, and we feel the need to share his progress with everyone.

After being abandoned by his mother at birth during the summer, Punch, or Panchi-kun, as they call him in Japan, was raised in an artificial environment until he was healthy enough to rejoin his group’s enclosure. Now, his struggle to socialise and settle in among the other monkeys is being passionately documented by thousands of visitors and is a hot topic across the internet.

While animal rights’ group such as PETA have put out statements regarding Punch’s condition and highlighting the unethical nature of many zoos in general, Punch has already built a pretty huge fan base online, gathering under the hashtag #HangInTherePunch.

@news.com.au Punch the viral monkey was seen seeking comfort in his stuffed toy after he was beaten by the older monkeys at the Ichikawa Zoo. #animals #animal #monkey #japan ♬ original sound – 🤍

His rise to fame really peaked when he was filmed retreating to the comfort of an Ikea orangutan teddy after being “bullied” by a few older macaques while attempting to socialise. You can find a number of clips showing Punch wrapping the teddy’s arms around himself and snuggling up to it, but watch at your own risk, because you might actually cry.

After these clips went viral, Ikea Japan donated a ton of its orangutan teddies to the Ichikawa Zoo, and the Swedish company saw a massive rise in sales of the plushie, to the point where it went out of stock in many stores across Japan and the USA. 

Although Punch seemed heavily reliant on his stuffed bestie for emotional support, it looks like the other monkeys are finally starting to warm up to him. He was seen being groomed by two monkeys and has apparently been taken under the wing of another macaque named Onsing. There is hope for little Punch!

After enduring days of rejection, Baby Punch finally experienced the comfort of love. Today, the adult monkey Onsing drew little Punch into a firm, deeply reassuring embrace. pic.twitter.com/SnCdsDZ5kl

— ✮ راينر براون (@dondawastaken) February 20, 2026

Ichikawa Zoo has reported that it’s seen a rise in visitors who want to see Punch for real, with over 5,000 visitors stopping at the enclosure over a long weekend in Japan. Measures have been put in place around the enclosure to make sure the crowds don’t stress the monkeys out. That’s really the last thing Punch needs right now.

Sure, in the grand scheme of things the plight of Punch the monkey and his long awaited happy ending doesn’t seem that important, but maybe we need stories like his now more than ever. So let’s all give it up for Punch!