If you’ve been scrolling through your social media feed lately, you’ve likely seen a tiny, wide-eyed baby monkey clutching a stuffed orangutan like his life depends on it.
Meet Punch (Panchi-kun), the world’s most famous Japanese macaque, who is currently at the center of a massive internet debate after a new video of him went viral.
In the latest footage from Japan’s Ichikawa City Zoo, Punch is seen being roughly dragged across the enclosure by an adult female monkey.
The tiny infant, looking terrified, eventually breaks free and scrambles back to his only source of comfort, his stuffed toy.
The video has sparked outrage online, with many calling the zoo cruel for leaving the baby in such a bully-filled environment.
Responding to the global backlash on February 20, the zoo issued a statement explaining that while the video looks heartbreaking to humans, it is actually normal monkey business.
According to the keepers: The adult female wasn’t trying to hurt Punch; she was likely “scolding” him for getting too close to her own baby. In the monkey world, babies must learn social boundaries. If keepers intervene every time, Punch will never learn how to survive as a real monkey. Despite the “dragging” incident, Punch is actually doing well. He has recently been seen being groomed by other troop members for the first time, a huge sign that he is finally being accepted.
{{/usCountry}}According to the keepers: The adult female wasn’t trying to hurt Punch; she was likely “scolding” him for getting too close to her own baby. In the monkey world, babies must learn social boundaries. If keepers intervene every time, Punch will never learn how to survive as a real monkey. Despite the “dragging” incident, Punch is actually doing well. He has recently been seen being groomed by other troop members for the first time, a huge sign that he is finally being accepted.
{{/usCountry}}For those new to the “Punch Saga,” the baby was rejected by his biological mother shortly after birth in July 2025.
Because baby monkeys have an instinct to cling to fur for survival and comfort, zookeepers gave him a plush orangutan.
Punch became a global sensation because he refuses to let go of the toy, treating it as his “surrogate mother.”
Take a look at some social media reactions: