Viral Video: Punch The Monkey Draws Massive Crowd At Japan's Ichikawa Zoo, People Queue Up To Catch A Glimpse Of 'Internet's Favourite Monkey'

Days after the lonely penguin struck a chord with the internet, social media users are obsessing over a seven-month-old macaque monkey. An inhabitant of the Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan, Punch-kun has become the latest viral sensation on social media. Millions of reels, posts and videos of the monkey are now doing the rounds online. The sentiments ran so high that animal experts and specialist doctors have decoded the obsession. Naturally, this led to people rushing to Ichikawa City Zoo to catch a glimpse of Punch.

Several videos are doing the rounds on social media which showing the massive crowds at the zoo to catch a glimpse of the abandoned monkey. People could be seen queuing up for hours to get to the monkey enclosure. Upon arriving at the spot, several people lurked over the railings to see Punch and his famous accompaniment, the orange orangutan plushie. The zoo authorities could be seen cautioning people to be mindful around the monkeys. The crowd could be seen clicking pictures and capturing videos of the internet's latest celebrity.

The videos are being shared massively with users away from Japan, resharing them on their accounts. The clips have garnered over 100k views on Instagram.

The emotional story of Punch and Plushie 

Punch the monkey is an infant primate housed at Ishikawa Zoo in Nonoichi, has been drawing massive crowds after visitors learned that he was abandoned by his mother and found solace in a plush toy. As per reports, the macaque was born in July last year and was rejected shortly after birth, a rare but not unheard-of occurrence among primates. Beyond physical care, young monkeys also need emotional security, typically provided through constant contact with their mothers. To get the same, viral videos show Punch trying to interact with other adult monkeys to get companionship and trying to fit in the group.

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However, Punch was left alone by the group, moving the internet to tears. To comfort the infant, zoo staff introduced a soft plush toy into his enclosure. Videos show tiny Punch clinging tightly to the stuffed toy, cuddling it, carrying it around, and even sleeping while wrapped around it, much like a baby monkey would hold onto its mother. While Punch’s story began with abandonment, it has transformed into one of hope and compassion. The viral video is now inspiring brand campaigns and moving Linkedin posts.