Overview
- Punch, a Japanese macaque born on July 26, 2025, was hand‑reared after maternal rejection and bonded with an orangutan plush used as a surrogate comfort item.
- The zoo reports steady integration signs including grooming, play and occasional scolding, noting that no single monkey has shown serious aggression toward him.
- A Feb. 19 clip showing an adult dragging Punch prompted a Feb. 20 statement explaining it as disciplinary socialization, with staff urging supporters to back his efforts rather than pity him.
- Visitor numbers have surged as his story spread on social media, with officials managing crowds and asking people to observe quietly at the monkey enclosure.
- IKEA Japan provided replacement DJUNGELSKOG plush toys after the story went viral, and the retailer reported increased sales of the orangutan toy in several countries.