Legions of fans from around the world have been cheering on Punch, a 7-month-old macaque who had been struggling to socialize at a zoo outside Tokyo.

People started showing up at the zoo in droves. One weekend saw just over 8,000 visitors—double the traffic they'd normally get. Families were driving hours just to stand at monkey mountain and yell encouragement at a six-month-old macaque, Punch. Sometimes a little encouragement can mean the difference between happiness and loneliness

It’s common for monkeys to cling to their mothers from birth – so to help combat his anxiety and assist with his loneliness, caretakers gave him an oversized stuffed orangutan that he’s now established a strong bond with, taking it everywhere he goes.

The heartbreaking tale of a lonely baby monkey at a Japanese zoo has seemingly taken a wholesome turn

You know that feeling when you see something online and your heart just cracks wide open? That’s what’s happening right now with Punch, a tiny Japanese snow monkey whose story of abandonment, an

Our hearts are exploding.

This sad story started in July 2025, when Punch the monkey was born. Sadly, his biological mother rejected him, which would have been a death sentence for the macaque in the wild. Thankfully, keepers at Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan were on hand to help.

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

We can all agree that watching cute baby animal videos on a daily basis is a necessity. Plan and simple, these hairy, feathery, and furry little infants just bring so much joy into our lives. Is it their cuteness? Their curiosity? We don’t think there ...