Punch, a baby macaque in Japan, clings to a stuffed orangutan

Punch — or Punch-kun — is a baby macaque at Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba, Japan. Born in July 2025, he was rejected by his mother shortly after birth and was hand-reared by zookeepers. Lacking a maternal substitute, staff gave him a plush toy. In photos and videos shared on X and Instagram, Punch rarely lets go of a stuffed orangutan, nicknamed Oran Mama.

He clings to it while sleeping, carries it on his back and presses his face into it when frightened. The images have prompted adoring posts, support and fan art online, while the monkeys in his enclosure have been slower to embrace him. The zoo posted on Feb.

Japan, Ichikawa, Chiba

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