Latest update:24 February 2026 at 20:03 IST

Fans are flocking to Japan to see Punch, the internet’s favorite little monkey

HANG IN THERE: Where to see the viral little Japanese monkey who won’t let go of his stuffed toy

Wildlife lovers are making special trips to the Ishikawa City Zoo in Japan to meet the Internet’s newest animal celebrity: Punch, a baby macaque who never goes anywhere without a plush orangutan.

Born in July 2025, Punch was abandoned by his mother shortly after his birth. Although initially healthy, the rejection took a toll on him physically and emotionally. Zookeepers Kosuke Shikano and Shombe Miyakoshi intervened to raise him, providing him with warmth, comfort, and constant care.

To help satisfy his instinctive need for maternal contact, caretakers provided Bunch with swaddled blankets and soft toys. Of all these animals, he chose one – a bright orange plush orangutan (fondly nicknamed oran-mama online). He sleeps holding it, carries it everywhere, and even carries it as a protective shield when he feels nervous around other monkeys.

Recently, Punch has slowly begun to integrate into the Macaque forces but the game has remained firmly on his side. In the heart-melting videos, an adult monkey named Onsing can be seen being cared for and cuddled, helping him adapt to social life.

How and where to see Baby Bunch in Japan

If you want to see Punch in person, head to the Ichikawa City Zoo, located north of Ichikawa City in Chiba Prefecture. Surrounded by scenic pear orchards and a botanical garden, the zoo is known for its relaxed atmosphere and unique residents including red pandas, orangutans and the now-famous macaque enclosure where Punch lives.

Address: 284-1 Omachi, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0801, Japan

Ticket prices:

Adults: 440 Japanese yen

Children: 110 JPY

Preschool: Free

Zoo officials say visitor numbers at Monkey Mountain have been up since Punch became popular. If you visit, you may see him interacting warily with other macaques, but he is almost certainly still cuddling his beloved toy orangutan.

Why did Baby Punch go viral?

Punch’s story touches on something universally human: the need for comfort, connection, and emotional resilience. Watching a baby monkey cling to a stuffed toy like a security blanket seems deeply relatable across cultures. Add to this his backstory of abandonment, gentle human care, and gradual social recovery, and Punch becomes more than just cute, he is a symbol of healing and adjustment. In an internet ecosystem that thrives on emotional storytelling, his vulnerability coupled with visual flexibility has turned him into a universal icon of comfort.