In early 2026, images and videos appearing to show a baby monkey holding an orangutan plush toy went viral on social media.

The Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan has been forced to issue a statement defending giving Punch the baby monkey a stuffed animal toy following backlash.

He’s the rejected monkey who has become the internet’s adopted animal baby. But while you cannot take Punch home, you can curl up with his companion — if you can find one in stock, that is.

Things are looking up for everyone’s favorite monkey! After being rejected by his mother and facing a difficult time interacting socially with the other macaques in his enclosure, it seems Punch the ...

Baby monkey Punch-kun draws huge crowds to Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan after viral photos show him clutching a stuffed orangutan for comfort.

A zookeeper gives an update on the progress of Punch, the baby Japanese macaque, and fans of the monkey explain why people ...

An abandoned baby monkey at a Japanese zoo who found comfort in a stuffed animal is slowly being accepted by the rest of the troop.

The little monkey is slowly making friends with the other monkeys at the zoo but still clings to his stuffed toy.

The monkey captured the hearts of millions of internet users after he was filmed carrying and hugging a stuffed animal—bigger ...

According to one spectator from Business Insider, Punch is so popular that his visits from the public are limited to 10 ...

Videos showing the forlorn little macaque dragging around his orangutan plushy went viral and gained him global sympathy ...