Japan’s monkey ‘Punch’, who was famous for hugging toys when he was lonely, has now got a girlfriend named ‘Momo-chan’. The videos of both of them are going viral and now he is blending in better with the herd.
GoThere’s a new and cute twist to the story of Pan’s Ichikawa City Zoo’s monkey ‘Punch’. Earlier, this monkey became famous all over the world by hugging an orange soft toy to overcome his loneliness. Now he has got a girlfriend named ‘Momo-chan’. Cute videos of both are going viral on social media.
Punch was abandoned by his mother after birth and raised by zoo staff. Because of this he found it difficult to mix with other monkeys. But in the video going viral since March 15, Punch is seen quite happy with another monkey. Internet users have lovingly named her ‘Momo-chan’, which means ‘little peach’ in Japanese.
Punch and Momo-chan can be seen playing together, hugging and kissing each other. People are liking these videos very much. Interestingly, many people say that Momo-chan looks exactly like Punch’s toy.
support each other
One video shows Punch holding his toy and Momo-chan playing by pulling his tail. Then both are seen running together. Instagram’s ‘Beyond the Wildlife’ page reports that the two have now become so close that it is difficult to tell them apart.
punch’s loneliness
Punch was born in July 2025. Zoo staff took care of him after his mother abandoned him soon after birth. Because of this he could not learn the ways of the other monkeys in his group. In February 2026, Punch’s video went viral, in which he was seen hugging an orange colored orangutan toy from the company Ikea. When he did not get his mother’s love, this toy became the biggest support in his life.
Initially when Punch was included in the herd, people felt that the other monkeys were harassing him. But zoo officials made it clear that this is normal behavior of the monkey herd. They were doing this to teach him discipline and living in a herd.
According to a post by the zoo, Punch now gets groomed, teased and scolded by other monkeys every day. These are all signs that he is learning to live like a monkey. Zoo keeper Kosuke Shikano hopes that, “one day he will learn to live without his toys.”
Although Punch has now gotten along well with Momo-chan, he still hasn’t completely given up on his toy. But there is a big improvement in his social life. The story of Punch and Momo-chan is proof of how love and friendship can heal wounds, even in the animal world. Well, when pet or wild animals get separated from their mother, giving them soft toys helps in reducing their mental stress and gives them a sense of security.