Sometimes all it takes is a plush toy to find the courage to take your first steps.
A baby macaque from Japan is capturing global attention, and the story behind it is as heartwarming as it gets.
Zookeepers Raising Motherless Macaque With Unusual Support
At the Ichikawa Zoo in Japan, a six-month-old macaque named "Punch" is currently going viral. The baby monkey was born on July 26, 2025. However, shortly after his birth, he was rejected by his mother. Because of this, zookeepers were forced to step in and care for the little ape themselves.
They had to hand-feed him, but food was not the only thing they had to keep in mind when raising a monkey. Since he had no mother to cuddle, the zookeepers gave him a plush orangutan so he would have something to hold onto. What they did not expect was just how attached the little ape would become to the toy. It did not take long for photos of him clinging to the plush to go viral, with people across the globe invested in the tiny macaque’s journey.
The good news is that he is actually doing quite well. At first, he struggled to find his place in the herd, Since he was not raised by his mother, he initially struggled to integrate into the group the way macaques normally do. Instead, he clung to his plush toy and found comfort there.
However, step by step, he is becoming less dependent on the toy and engaging in more social interactions with the rest of the group. He was even groomed by another member of the herd at the zoo. In an interview with the Japanese TV channel TV Asahi, one of the macaques’ caretakers explained:
“At first, Punch himself seemed nervous, and he was always clinging to the stuffed animal. But as the days went by, he started to wander away from the stuffed animal and go to other monkeys. He’s a very mentally strong monkey.”
So it seems little Punch is on his way to become a full-fledged member of the herd of the Ichikawa zoo. Even though his start was pretty difficult the little macaque showed resolve... in the cutest way possible. In the end, it’s shaping up to be a happy ending for little Punch, finally finding a place among his peers.
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