Punch-kun baby macaque adjusts to troop life with help from keepers
A six month old Japanese macaque at Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba, near Tokyo, found itself at the centre of online attention after being raised by keepers from birth and bonding with an IKEA plush toy.
The baby monkey, named Punch-kun (after Monkey Punch, the manga artist behind Lupin the Third), was born on July 26, 2025. Keepers say his story was off to a tumultuous start after rejection from his mother shortly after his birth.
For Japanese macaques, separation from the mother is typically dangerous, as infants depend on constant contact to feed, keep warm, build strength and learn social behaviour within the troop. Without that support, survival is rare in the wild.
Two caretakers stepped in to raise Punch-kun, bottle-feeding him and caring for him around the clock. To help him settle in, zookeepers ultimately paired him up with an IKEA plush orangutan doll.
Punch-kun has been filmed holding the toy while sleeping and carrying it as he moves, in a way that mirrors how young macaques cling to their mothers. Online followers later nicknamed the plush “Oran-mama”, and the toy has remained close to him.
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On January 19, 2026, the zoo introduced Punch-kun to Monkey Mountain, the main enclosure housing about 60 macaques. Without a mother to by his side, the baby macaque struggled to adapt to the social hierarchy, often swatted away by older monkeys.
After some viewers described the interactions as bullying, the zoo responded on X, saying:
“While Punch is scolded, he shows resilience and mental strength. When you observe these disciplinary behaviours from other troop members toward Punch when he tries to communicate with them, we would like you to support Punch’s effort rather than feel sorry for him.”
PETA Asia also commented on Punch-kun’s situation, saying what some people view as “cute” reflects “a glimpse into the trauma of a young, highly social primate coping with isolation and loss.”
“When a baby animal goes viral, like Moo Deng the pygmy hippo, public fascination quickly fades, but the animal remains trapped for life.”
The group urged the zoo to transfer the macaque to what it described as a “reputable sanctuary.”
PETA has previously faced scrutiny over euthanasia rates at its animal shelter in Virginia, according to data from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS).
By late February 2026, Punch-kun was showing clearer signs of social progress, including being groomed, playing and receiving an embrace from another macaque. NBC News reported that the zoo said the number of monkeys he interacts with has been steadily increasing.
Keepers hope Punch-kun will eventually no longer need the plush toy, but for now, it remains part of his daily routine.
Updates are shared through Ichikawa City Zoo’s official X account, @ichikawa_zoo.
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