Viral monkey Punch is growing up — now curiously watching over a baby macaque in the troop

Punch, the viral Japanese macaque at Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan, is growing up. In new footage shared by the zoo on X, Punch is curiously watching over a newborn baby macaque in the troop — a gentle new step for an animal who was once the troop member most in need of care himself.

Punch was born in July 2025 during an extreme heat wave and was rejected by his mother, leaving him without the care baby macaques usually receive. Zookeepers stepped in to hand-raise him around the clock, and later gave him a stuffed orangutan from IKEA to keep him company. Images of Punch dragging the oversized plush toy around his enclosure spread quickly online, and fans rallied behind him with the hashtag #HangInTherePunch.

From clutching a toy to finding his place in the troop

Punch lives among a troop of about 60 Japanese macaques at Ichikawa City Zoo. At first, navigating the troop's complex social world was not easy, and keepers watched closely as he began interacting with the others. Over time he formed relationships, shifting from a youngster mostly glued to his stuffed orangutan to a more confident member of the group.

When Punch turned one in July, the zoo said he received more than 2,500 birthday cards from fans. In its latest post, the zoo also shone a light on the keepers behind his progress: they observe the animals every day, spend time interacting with them and adjust care — even feeding routines — to the season and weather. Punch's healthy growth, the zoo said, is thanks to that careful, consistent attention.

For fans who have followed Punch's story from the start, seeing the once-rejected infant now paying attention to a younger troop member feels like a gentle payoff — he is no longer just reacting to his own difficult start, but engaging with the life unfolding around him.

(Image: Ichikawa City Zoo / X)