Punch the abandoned monkey: Japanese macaque draws Moo Deng comparisons; ‘who’s cuter?'

Baby macaque Punch becomes internet sensation after viral videos with plush orangutan.

A baby Japanese macaque named Punch has become an international internet star after footage of him clutching a stuffed orangutan toy went viral this week.

Baby Japanese macaque named Punch (AFP)

Videos and images of the forlorn little macaque dragging his oversized plushie have captured global attention on X and TikTok.

Fan art has also surfaced on Reddit, and X. Retailers have also seen an impact. IKEA has noted a notable rise in sales of its plush orangutans in several nations, according to Euro News.

Who is Punch the Monkey?

Punch was born in Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Gardens in Chiba Prefecture in July 2025. Punch was abandoned by his mother shortly after birth and struggled to bond with his troop.

Videos that have gone viral show him hesitantly approaching elder monkeys in an attempt to win their affection, only to be rebuffed or slapped away.

Zoo staff intervened to hand-raise him and introduced an IKEA DJUNGELSKOG orangutan as a comfort object, which Punch now seldom parts with.

Punch crawls around, frantically attempting to get the plush to hug him back, much to his evident and very sad lack of success, in one especially cute but devastating footage.

Social media reacts: "Who's cuter?"

Punch's story has sparked comparisons with other animal stars like Moo Deng, the baby pygmy hippopotamus that became viral in 2025.

A user on X, Kevin Castro, starts a post comparing the cuteness of the two animals. He wrote, “Who’s cuter Punch or Moo deng?”

Another user on X, wrote, “Why we gotta hate on Moo Deng when we all should hate that monkey who dragged Punch??? Moo Deng would help Punch for revenge”

Some users online also want the two animal stars to start a podcast. Niki Frias wrote, “Moo Deng and Punch need to start a podcast.”