He's Not Alone Anymore: Punch the monkey now being protected by two heartwarming adults in his clan (VIDEO)

Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager

Feb 24, 2026 11:00 AM EST

The future is looking bright for the internet's favorite baby Japanese macaque.

Punch the monkey has been going through it. After being abandoned by his mother just a few days after his birth, Punch had only his orange stuffed monkey to cling to for comfort. The zookeepers kept trying to introduce him to other monkeys in his enclosure, but because his mom ostracized him, the other monkeys followed suit. However, this caused the internet to fall in love with him.

Over the past days, we've all been fawning over Punch and his relatable underdog story. On an emotional level, we can all relate to Punch. It's common to feel that we've been dealt an unfair hand and, despite our best efforts, have been struggling to succeed. On a physical level, it's darn near impawssible to not feel for Punch as he tries and tries again to make friends with the other monkeys, and is only met with negativity. You just want to storm the enclosure and give him a big hug when he retreats back to his stuffed mom, hugging her for comfort and safety.

But never fear, things are looking up for our dear Punch-kun! After repeated attempts at integrating himself into his little monkey society, he's finally found two older monkeys who are protecting him! They've started grooming him and will carry him to safety when the other monkeys start to be mean to him.

As Lady Gaga once famously said, "There may be 100 monkeys in the room, and 99 don't believe in you, and just one does—and it just takes one, and it changes your whole life," or something like that.

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via @Complex
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via @nexta_tv
Just like Punch, we struggled with making friends when we were kids. We were one of the weird ones, we weren't really into sports or athletics, and it was hard for us to connect with other kids our age. We also felt alone in a sea of our peers, which is why we think so many people have fallen in love with Punch. But once we did find our friends, we realized that there wasn't anything wrong with us - we just didn't find the right people who appreciated us for who we truly were.
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via ChronoTriggerGod
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via crescentmoondust

Baby Punch with his stuffed animal "mom", only a few days old
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via @nexta_tv
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via eliz1bef
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via TrickdaddyJ
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via Helpful-Tip3193
It's a bit blurry, but in the picture above, you can see one of Punch's new “bodyguards” carrying him away while Punch holds on to their body for comfort. The older monkey later bares his teeth, a sign of aggression, at the monkey that was tormenting Punch. You found yourself a fierce protector there, Punch!
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via No-Jacket-2927
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via @nexta_tv
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via momoftheraisin
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via Helpful-Tip3193
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via gamingquarterly
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via @nexta_tv
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via Helpful-Tip3193
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via Additional-Life4885
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via @nexta_tv
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via MarkItZeroDonnie
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via Helpful-Tip3193