US EditionWant your own stuffed orangutan like Punch the monkey? We found some adorable options
- On February 19, 2026, footage shows Punch the macaque clutching a stuffed orangutan at Ichikawa City Zoo, inspiring viral videos and songs with over 97,000 likes on TikTok.
- Zookeepers at Ichikawa City Zoo said Punch’s mother may have abandoned him due to stress from a first birth during a heatwave, and some images show other macaques attacking him.
- Harlow’s 1950s experiments showed infant monkeys preferred a soft terry-towelling surrogate 'mother' over a wire 'mother', underpinning attachment theory by valuing emotional nourishment over physical provision.
- Increased attention has led to more visitors at Ichikawa City Zoo, while Punch is socializing more and receiving hugs from adult macaques, touching global online audiences.
- Beyond the footage, the episode has revived public debate about attachment theory and animal welfare as many now regard Harlow’s experiments as cruel and ethically unacceptable.
26 Articles
26 Articles
The Mournful Ballad Of Punch The Monkey
When I first heard rumblings that the world had assembled a conclave to elect a new celebrity zoo animal, I felt preemptively wary, partly due to world events and partly because we still don't know the long-term psychological consequences of fame for child stars like Moo Deng. Then I saw a video of the seven-month-old Japanese macaque Punch dragging his Djungelskog IKEA orangutan toy, and instantly felt my heart swell. It is difficult, I fear, t…
The little Punch, a Japanese monkey born in July 2025 at the zoo in Ichikawa City, Japan, melted hearts again on social networks thanks to a new video in which he is seen “squeezing” and gently cleaning his inseparable teddy, as if he were another member of his group. Punch was rejected by his mother shortly after birth, so the zookeepers had to take care of his upbringing and look for a way to compensate for the absence of maternal contact.To g…
Tried typing ‘Punch The Monkey' on Google? Get ready for a surprisingly sweet surprise
If your Google screen suddenly burst into floating hearts after a random search, you probably paused for a second. Maybe refreshed. Maybe thought it was a glitch. It wasn’t. The phrase “Punch The Monkey” quietly unlocked one of Google’s signature Easter eggs, turning an ordinary results page into a cascade of colourful, graffiti-style hearts. No trailer launch. No product promo. Just the internet doing what it does best. Falling collectively in …
Punch the abandoned macaque and his cuddly teddy immortalised on golden grill
Punch the baby macaque and his cuddly toy feature on an exquisitely detailed golden grill (Picture: Homer The Jeweller/Cover Media) He’s the baby monkey who has captured hearts around the world. And now the story of Punch the tiny primate and his beloved teddy bear has been immortalised in an eye-catching piece of jewellery. The golden grill captures both cuddly characters sitting in front of a enamel bamboo panels. The grill was made by H…
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