The moment a juvenile macaque was cast out from his troop, and took solace in a stuffed orangutan from Ikea, has launched the young monkey to viral fame.
It started with video from Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan, showing Punch being attacked by an adult monkey, then comforting himself with the toy. You can watch that video below – it’s a bit disturbing.
Don’t worry, it got better for Punch, as you can see in the video at the top of this article.
Without his mother, Punch became attached to the toy, which has helped it socialise and become playful with other monkeys, the zoo said.
Earlier this month, the zoo reported that Punch had started to integrate, “playfully poking others and getting scolded”, the Telegraph reported.
The zoo has urged people to “support Punch’s efforts” to socialise, adding that while the monkey is sometimes scolded by other monkeys, there have been no signs of serious aggression.
“Punch shows mental strength and resilience,” it said.
