Viral monkey 'Punch-kun' who captured hearts worldwide with his plushie "mom" comes back better than ever thanks to his newfound fame: 'Every [monkey] mom seems to want him as their future son-in-law'

Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager

Feb 20, 2026 9:00 AM EST

Now this is a redemption story: from abandoned to accepted, 'Punch' was cast out by his mother just days after birth. Zookeepers gave him an orange monkey plushie to help with his loneliness, which touched people's hearts around the globe. Thanks to reports from the hordes of people who went to see him, we know that Punch is now not only accepted by the other monkeys, but even sought after as a son-in-law!

Who doesn't love an underdog story?

Punch-kun, the Japanese macaque, who filled everyone's feeds this week went viral for his adorable attachment to his orange plushie "mother" that the zookeepers gave him after he was abandoned by his mom from an early age. But that's old news! We're here to report on how Punch is doing now, and we're happy to say that he's headed towards a bright and loving future.

People lined up for hours in order to see Punch after his videos surged across social media. This newfound attention, and his slow and careful integration back to his community has turned Punch from the lonely runt to every monkey mother's dream. According to live witnesses who saw Punch recently, all the mothers in his enclosure are already attempting to set up "marriages" between him and their daughters. Not only is he being accepted by the other monkeys, but it seems like Punch will soon start a big family of his own.

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We're not someone who stands in lines for things. That sounds bad, but you know what we're saying: we would rather wait until the hype is over before standing in an outrageous line to experience something “first”. But for Punch, we would stand all night in a line if we had to. Seeing him cuddle his little monkey and look sad and defeated would be so pawsitively heartbreaking and adorable at the same time.
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But more than his cuteness, we're beyond thrilled that he's now loved and cherished by the other monkeys. We know how lonely it is to be surrounded by people who don't accept you. But he got through it, just like we did, and we wish him a life full of grooming, playtime, and monkey business!
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