Internet's viral sensation sweetheart Japanese macaque was born on July 26, 2025, at Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, little Punch—a baby Japanese macaque—faced heartbreak right from the start. Abandoned by his mother shortly after birth, he was hand-raised by dedicated zookeepers who noticed his loneliness and anxiety in the troop.
To help him cope, they gave him a soft, oversized stuffed orangutan toy (nicknamed "Ora-mama" by fans). Punch instantly bonded with it, hugging, dragging, and cuddling the toy everywhere for comfort. Videos of the tiny macaque seeking solace in his plush "surrogate mom"—especially after moments of being "bullied" by older monkeys while learning social cues—exploded online, racking up millions of views and melting hearts worldwide.
The wholesome yet poignant clips turned Punch into a viral sensation, drawing massive crowds to the zoo (over 6,000 visitors in a single day at one point).