The Full Arc of Punch the Monkey

Abandoned by his mother and struggling to fit in with his troop, Punch, a 6 month old Japanese macaque at Ichikawa City Zoo near Tokyo, found comfort in an unlikely friend: an IKEA Djungelskog orangutan plush. After being rejected at birth and raised by zookeepers, Punch faced a difficult reintegration into the zoo’s Monkey Mountain enclosure, where strict hierarchies left him isolated. Staff gave him the stuffed toy for emotional support and strength training, and he has rarely let it go since. Viral clips show him carrying, cuddling and even trying to get the plushie to hug him back. The heart tugging videos have racked up tens of millions of views across TikTok and Instagram, inspired fan art on X and Reddit and even boosted global sales of the Djungelskog toy. Stephen Colbert referenced Punch in a recent monologue, while IKEA Japan donated dozens of plushies to the zoo. Amid concerns about bullying, the zoo says Punch is mentally resilient and learning to navigate macaque social life. Recent footage shows him being groomed and playing with peers, signs that he is slowly finding his place. 📽️Video by: Gabe Jung 🤳Click our linkinbio to sign up to our daily newsletter.⁠ ⁠⁠ 📰Follow us for the latest Asian News @NextShark⁠ ⁠ ⁠ #news #reel #punch #punchkun #japanese #macaque #ichikawacityzoo #tokyo #ikea #djungelskog #orangutan #plushie #viral #tiktok #instagram #x #reddit #stephencolbert #monkeymountain #zookeeper #animalrescue #zoo #heartwarming #internet #socialmedia #resilience #friendship #japan #cutemonkey #wildlife