The viral monkey Punch is beginning to toughen up as he stepped in to defend his girlfriend from another monkey at the zoo.
Punch has gone viral worldwide after clips showed him clutching a plush toy for comfort following rejection from his biological mother.
At first, the Japanese macaque had a hard time getting used to life around other monkeys, but he’s since grown quite a bit, gaining a “bodyguard” and even a love interest.
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In a new video making rounds, Punch’s girlfriend Moe was being harassed by another monkey, but Punch stepped in to save the day.
Punch defends his girlfriend from rival monkey
Uploaded on March 21, the video shows Punch and Moe playing and him going down a cliff and waiting for his girlfriend to join him.
Instead, she appeared to come under attack by another monkey who jumped on top of her and started fighting.
At this point, Punch had a decision to make: go back up and fight for her, or go about his day and spend the rest of his life with an Ikea plush toy.
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Instead of backing down, Punch climbed up and despite being out-matched by his larger foe, was able to knock his enemy off the cliff before being embraced by Moe.
The video was shared on X by a user documenting Punch’s ongoing viral adventures. “He’s usually the one getting rescued by Moe-chan, but this time it’s Punch-kun’s turn to be the hero,” they said.
There’s no telling where Punch’s journey will take him next, but it’s clear that he’s grown a lot more comfortable with other monkeys since joining the enclosure at the Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Garden.
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