A small macaque named Punch, living in a zoo near the Japanese capital, was born in July 2025 weighing only 500 grams. However, after birth, his mother did not accept him, and he was taken under the care of zoo staff.
Although specialists gave him various blankets, he only developed affection for a soft orangutan toy. Punch still carries that toy pressed to his chest and sleeps with it.
In January, he was returned to the troop of other monkeys, but they did not immediately accept him. The image of the small macaque clinging to his toy, seeking safety, was widely discussed on social media, with millions of posts written under the hashtag #HangInTherePunch on the X network.
Now Punch is gradually adapting to the other monkeys. According to zoo staff, he is healthy and active, but still does not part with his beloved "toy mother."
