It’s a hard-knock life for Punch the monkey at the Ichikawa Zoo in Japan. The motherless macaque drags around his only friend, a stuffed orangutan for comfort and security after being bullied by the other monkeys in his enclosure.
Videos of Punch being swatted away, isolated and even dragged have circulated the internet, which won not only the sympathy, but hearts of viewers nationwide.
After the torment, Punch, without fail, runs back to the one monkey that will never act up on him: his stuffed animal.
In lighter news, some of the monkeys in the enclosure have recently taken a liking to Punch, and some Punch-lovers on the internet have even speculated that these adult monkeys have adopted him.
Videos of the elder monkeys grooming, hugging and other acts of love have taken the place of the violent and heartbreaking clips of the former bullying that happened.
The comfort plush is still a necessity in Punch’s life, and he just got dozens more stuffed animals. The adorable orange primate plush has become viral in recent events, but where did it come from? Well, it’s the Djungelskog orangutan plush from IKEA.
Staff members at the Swedish furniture store have seen the heart-breaking videos of Punch, and have sent him dozens more stuffed toys. The original orangutan plush is selling out globally due to love for Punch felt by consumers around the world.
The admiration for Punch doesn’t stop there. Many TikTok creators have spoken about the monkey on their platforms and showed their compassion for the helpless monkey that had to endure the brutal bullies. They have also shown their excitement that Punch has at last been accepted by the other monkeys.
These creators have vouched for Punch to be transferred from his current enclosure to a sanctuary due to the behavior from the fellow primates’ pestering behavior.
After all the hardships the orphaned macaque has faced, Punch the monkey is definitely a household name.