Panchi-kun (ใใณใใใ) ยท Born July 26, 2025 ยท Ichikawa City Zoo, Chiba, Japan
Hi there, and welcome! I'm Punch-kun, a baby Japanese macaque at the Ichikawa City Zoo near Tokyo, and I am on the most important journey of my life. I was abandoned by my mom on the very day I was born, so my zookeeper family raised me by hand and gave me a little IKEA orangutan plushie to keep me company and he goes everywhere with me. Now that I'm a bit older, I've started going to school: every day I try a little harder to make friends with my troop, learn how to groom, play, and communicate, and figure out what it means to truly be a macaque. It's not always easy. I get scolded a lot and sometimes I have to go back to my orangutan and take a breath, but I always get back up and try again. This is my page, my story, and my school career. Thank you so much for cheering me on with #HangInTherePunch! ๐๐งธ
"Although Punch has been scolded many times by other monkeys, no single monkey has shown serious aggression toward him. While Punch is scolded, he shows resilience and mental strength. When you observe the disciplinary behaviors from other troop members toward Punch when he tries to communicate with them, we would like you to support Punch's effort rather than feel sorry for him."
โ Official statement from Ichikawa City Zoo zookeepers, posted to X, February 2026Punch's official curriculum at the Ichikawa City Zoo Troop Integration Academy ๐
| Course | What Punch Learns | Days | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grooming 101 | How to pick through fur, make friends, and build trust through touch โ the monkey love language. | Mon / Wed | B+ |
| Troop Hierarchy & Respect | Learning who's who in the troop, when to bow down, and how NOT to upset the elders. | Tue / Thu | C |
| Foraging & Feeding Etiquette | When to eat, what to eat, and the fine art of not stealing someone else's snack. | Daily | A |
| Play Signals & Body Language | Reading monkey faces, understanding play bites vs. real bites, and how to ask "wanna play?" | Mon / Fri | B |
| Emotional Regulation (with Plushie) | After hard days, returning to your safe space, breathing, and finding the courage to try again. | Every day ๐งธ | A+ |
- TODAY: Who Is Punch the Monkey? The full story of how a baby macaque and a stuffed orangutan became the internet's most emotional saga of 2026.
- NBC News: Punch Finds Some Friends Updates on Punch's slow but hopeful integration into his troop โ and the global support pouring in.
- RNZ: Fans Flock to the Zoo to See Punch Over 100 visitors gathered at the zoo chanting "hang in there!" โ and Punch kept going.
- KTLA: Internet Cheers on Punch A hopeful update โ grooming, new friendships, and the whole world in his corner.