Internet breathes easy as viral baby monkey with plushie 'mother' finds new family

A Japanese macaque at Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan, once rejected by its mother and comforted by a plush toy, is now integrating with its troop after months of careful reintroduction efforts by zookeepers.

At the Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan, a tiny monkey with a big internet fan club has finally found what he was looking for all along - a place to belong.

Punch, the now seven-month-old Japanese macaque, left the internet teary-eyed when videos showed him clinging tightly to a plush orangutan nicknamed “Ora-mama.”

According to recent updates from the zoo, Punch has begun bonding with another monkey and the breakthrough came in the form of grooming. In primate communities, grooming is no small gesture; it is a language of trust, acceptance, and social glue. To be groomed is to be welcomed.

In a Japanese zoo, baby monkey Panch, who had been clinging to a plush toy after being rejected by his mother, has finally found a real friend.Zookeepers had given him a plush orangutan to replace his mother, but now he has finally found a friend who truly cares for him. pic.twitter.com/GpgLULkB7T

Soon after, videos showed Punch engaging in playful antics with other young monkeys, tentatively at first, then with growing confidence. The once-lonely infant who clung to a plushie is now inching toward real companionship.

Rejected by his mother shortly after his birth in July 2025, the baby macaque was given the stuffed toy by zookeepers for comfort. What followed was an outpouring of global affection.