The image of him retreating to safety after being bullied by his fellow ringmates and clinging to a look-alike stuffed toy for comfort won hearts around the world.
But eventually, the monkeys got used to it.
The seemingly crude videos, which shocked Punch’s legions of fans around the world, are just part of the seven-month-old macaque’s growth at Japan’s Ichikawa Zoo, his zookeeper told CNN.
The small primate has found new friends and is less dependent on the stuffed orangutan given to him to replace his mother, Miyakoshi said during a recent visit to the zoo by CNN.
On February 19, 2026, a baby Japanese macaque named Punch dragged a stuffed orangutan at the Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. -Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters
“Now he’s communicating with other monkeys and it’s great to see him reach these milestones,” he said.
He said Punch now hugs and plays with other monkeys, a stark contrast to previous heartbreaking online videos that showed him being beaten and chased away by his own species.
The zoo said in a social media post that some senior members of the force who “exhibited more frequent aggressive behavior” had been temporarily removed from their enclosures earlier this month.
But keepers say even these behaviors are considered normal in the Japanese macaque world, and peers are working to teach Punch about social hierarchy.
“Japanese macaques prefer physical contact because, unlike humans, they are not taught language… If they are serious, they will bite more aggressively,” he said.
On February 19, 2026, at the Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, a baby Japanese macaque named Punch clung to the zoo administrator Kosuke Shikano. -Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters
He also said the widely shared video documenting the rough encounter only took up a few minutes of Punch’s day.
But the road to full integration remains long. During CNN’s recent visit to the zoo, the baby monkey spent much of his time alone.
Videos appearing on social media occasionally include some hair-raising moments. In one clip, Punch is thrown to the ground by an older companion, causing him to frantically run to his stuffed animal for emotional support.
On March 3, 2026, in the monkey playground at the Ichikawa Zoo in Chiba, Japan, people were beating a Japanese macaque born on July 26, 2025. – Hiro Komae/AP
“He still uses it when he feels the need – like when he’s going to sleep, or when he’s being disciplined by an adult monkey and feels a little frustrated – he’ll go to it to calm himself down,” Miyagoshi said.
“He’s been doing his best to grow and learn from his early experiences.”
Visitors from around the world, including Blackpink’s K-pop star Lisa, flocked to the zoo to catch a glimpse of the internet star.
Some say Punch’s story has a personal resonance.
Nasser Hashem from the United States plans to travel to Japan with his sister just to watch Punch.
“I think we can all relate to him being in a certain sense of being in an unfamiliar environment, not knowing the people around you, and trying to blend in as best you can,” he said.
Melanie Fortier, also from the United States, said she couldn’t pass up the “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity to see the baby monkeys in person.
For her, Punch gave her hope at a time when her social media feeds were flooded with negative news from around the world.
“When you see something like an animal come out – just full of hope, and they have nothing but care and love – sometimes it’s refreshing and a breath of fresh air,” she said.
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