Baby monkey Punch clings to stuffed toy as fans flock to Japan zoo

Fans have flocked to Ichikawa City Zoo to see Punch the monkey and his beloved orangutan soft toy. Photo / @ichikawa_zoo

A baby monkey named Punch has captivated hearts around the world after photos emerged of him clutching an orang-utan soft toy.

Keepers at the Ichikawa City Zoo took the Japanese macaque in last July, caring for the infant after he was abandoned by his mother, according to Mainichi News.

Integrating Punch with other monkeys proved difficult, according to staff member Kosuke Shikano, who provided him with objects such as paper towel rolls and toys to hold at night because young chimps often cling to their mothers for warmth, security and to build muscle.

Photos of Punch the monkey and his beloved orang-utan soft toy have gone viral online. Photo / ichikawa_zoo

“The stuffed animal was a surrogate mother,” Shikano said, adding that its “fur made it easy to grab, and its appearance is also similar to a monkey, which likely provided a sense of security”.

Images of Punch, or Punch-kun as he’s also known, with his beloved toy went viral after they were posted to the zoo’s X account.

Soon the hashtag #HangInTherePunch became a trending topic, with social media users sending messages of support to the primate.

“I’ll be his surrogate mom!!!” one person offered.

“Now he can be accepted from other monkeys slowly,” wrote another, adding, “people around the world are cuddling him too”.

A third commenter joked: “I’m not crying, you are”, before calling Punch a sweet baby and saying she wanted to “scoop him up”.

Punch’s online popularity has led to a spike in visitor numbers at Ichikawa City Zoo, according to the New York Post.

Staff were reportedly surprised by the turnout and many visitors described their experiences on social media.

“I went to see Punch. ️He showed off his cute little toy, running and lying around,” said one X user.

“People were there to see Punch! Indeed, the monkey mountain was packed even in the morning. The kids seemed to love the park area! We hope to visit again soon!” said another.

Punch has a close bond with his soft toy but is slowly making inroads with the macaque troop at Ichikawa City Zoo. Photo / @ichikawa_zoo

The Bangkok Post reported Punch had begun cautiously integrating with a troop of macaques at the zoo but was keeping his soft toy, affectionately called Ora-mama, nearby.

Despite being overwhelmed at first, it is understood Punch has been accepted by one of the monkeys who has started to groom him.

In an update on Punch’s wellbeing, the zoo wrote: “He has a variety of experiences every day, such as being groomed, messing around with [other monkeys in his group], and being scolded, and he is learning every day how to live in a group as a monkey!”

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