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The internet’s favorite monkey might have gotten his fairytale ending.
Punch — the baby macaque at Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan that went viral for seeking comfort in a plush toy after his mother abandoned him — has been spotted canoodling with another monkey at the zoo.
New social media posts show the famous monkey kissing, cuddling and affectionately playing with a female macaque believed to be named Momo-chan, with many calling her Punch’s new girlfriend.
In clips posted to social media, the duo was captured hanging out together — and Punch’s beloved stuffed animal even made a cameo.
Punch and Momo-chan’s new affair suggests that Punch’s time as a lonesome monkey might have finally ended.
“Punch found a girlfriend and you’re still single,” one person quipped on X.
Another noted that Momo-chan seems to be a similar color to the plush monkey Punch lovingly carried around.
Along with his new companion, some photos and videos circulating online have shown that Punch has started to integrate with the other monkeys in the zoo, clinging less to his toy mama.
Born in July 2025, Punch was rejected by his mother after birth, and caretakers at the zoo stepped in to hand-raise him — but his fellow monkeys weren’t as kind at first.
They moved Punch into the enclosure with other monkeys and noticed that he was ostracized and struggling to integrate. Heartbreaking videos online have shown some of the other monkeys pushing Punch away when he tried to interact.
However, Ichikawa City Zoo insisted that while Punch may have been ostracized by his fellow monkeys, he was never outright bullied. Instead, the behavior represented a “strict hierarchical society” where “dominant individuals show ‘disciplining actions’ toward their subordinates.”
“Although Punch has been scolded many times by other monkeys, no single monkey has shown serious aggression toward him,” the zoo said in a statement released on X.
“When you observe these disciplinary behaviors from other troop members toward Punch when he tries to communicate with them, [the zoo] would like you to support Punch’s effort rather than feel sorry for him.”
Though they did acknowledge the public concern, adding that they “share your concerns about Punch, and all the zookeepers and staff will continue to work together to ensure that Punch can continue to live a healthy life as part of this troop of monkeys.”
It’s common for monkeys to cling to their moms after birth, but without a mom around, caretakers gave him a stuffed orangutan to help ease his anxiety and loneliness.
Punch has rarely been seen without his stuffed orangutan, treating the plushie like a mother and using it for comfort — though he’s now starting to outgrow it, which is a good sign.
“When he grows out of the plush toy that encourages his independence, and that’s what we are hoping for,” zoo director Shigekazu Mizushina said.
The stuffed orangutan is IKEA’s popular DJUNGELSKOG soft toy — and the description notes that the plushie can hang on your hip or back, “just like how real apes climb and hang in the rainforest trees.”
After going viral, Petra Fare, President and Chief Sustainability Officer of IKEA Japan, visited Ichikawa City Zoo on Feb. 17 to donate multiple replacements as well as new plush toys.
Anyone can get their hands on one of these plushies — though it did quickly sell out once people caught wind of it.
