The internet\u2019s favorite monkey might have gotten his fairytale ending.<\/p>\n
Punch \u2014 the baby macaque at Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan that went viral\u00a0for seeking comfort in a plush toy after his mother abandoned him \u2014 has been spotted canoodling<\/a> with another monkey at the zoo.<\/p>\n Punch the monkey has been seen hanging out with Mono-Chan. @ikaaa1805 \/ TikTok<\/p>\n New social media posts<\/a> show the famous monkey kissing, cuddling and affectionately playing with<\/a> a female macaque believed to be named Momo-chan, with many calling her Punch\u2019s new girlfriend<\/a>.<\/p>\n Punch clings to his stuffed orangutan toy at Ichikawa City Zoo and Botanical Gardens. JIJI PRESS\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n In clips posted to social media, the duo was captured hanging out together \u2014 and Punch\u2019s beloved stuffed animal even made a cameo.<\/p>\n Punch and Momo-chan\u2019s new affair suggests that Punch\u2019s time as a lonesome monkey might have finally ended.<\/p>\n \u201cPunch found a girlfriend and you\u2019re still single,\u201d one person quipped<\/a> on X.<\/p>\n Another noted<\/a> that Momo-chan seems to be a similar color to the plush monkey Punch lovingly carried around.<\/p>\n Along with his new companion, some photos and videos circulating online have shown that Punch has started to integrate with the other monkeys<\/a> in the zoo, clinging less to his toy mama.<\/p>\n Born in July 2025, Punch was rejected by his mother after birth<\/a>, and caretakers at the zoo stepped in to hand-raise him \u2014 but his fellow monkeys weren\u2019t as kind at first.<\/p>\n They moved Punch into the enclosure with other monkeys and noticed that he was ostracized and struggling to integrate.\u00a0Heartbreaking videos<\/a>\u00a0online have shown some of the other monkeys pushing Punch away when he tried to interact.<\/p>\n 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 \u201cstrict hierarchical society\u201d where \u201cdominant individuals show \u2018disciplining actions\u2019 toward their subordinates.\u201d<\/p>\n Punch is starting to outgrow his plush toy. JIJI PRESS\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cAlthough Punch has been scolded many times by other monkeys, no single monkey has shown serious aggression toward him,\u201d the zoo said in a statement released on X.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen 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\u2019s effort rather than feel sorry for him.\u201d<\/p>\n Though they did acknowledge the public concern, adding that they \u201cshare 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.\u201d<\/p>\n People have said Mono-chan is Punch\u2019s new girlfriend. @ikaaa1805 \/ TikTok<\/p>\n It\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Punch has rarely been seen without his stuffed orangutan, treating the plushie like a mother and using it for comfort \u2014 though he\u2019s now starting to outgrow it, which is a good sign<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen he grows out of the plush toy that encourages his independence, and that\u2019s what we are hoping for,\u201d zoo director Shigekazu Mizushina said.<\/p>\n Punch has rarely been seen without his stuffed orangutan, treating the plushie like a mother and using it for comfort. JIJI PRESS\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n The stuffed orangutan is IKEA\u2019s popular\u00a0DJUNGELSKOG soft toy<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 and the description notes that the plushie can hang on your hip or back, \u201cjust like how real apes climb and hang in the rainforest trees.\u201d<\/p>\n After going viral, Petra Fare, President and Chief Sustainability Officer of IKEA Japan, visited Ichikawa City Zoo on Feb. 17 to donate multiple replacements<\/a> as well as new plush toys.<\/p>\n Anyone can get their hands on one of these plushies \u2014 though it did quickly sell out<\/a> once people caught wind of it.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t