Small, defenseless, scared of life. His mother was not by his side, having rejected him after giving birth. So he found comfort in a stuffed orangutan from Ikea : his world, his refuge, the most beautiful thing in existence.

Punch is a baby macaque monkey , born on July 26, 2025, at the Ichikawa Zoo, near Tokyo. His mother, exhausted from childbirth and the heat, sent him away. Deprived of maternal contact, Punch was raised by zookeepers, who gave him a special gift: a stuffed animal. But it was the soft, reassuring embrace of the stuffed animal that truly won him over.

From that first meeting, an inseparable duo was born: Punch takes his friend everywhere, always holding him close, even while he sleeps. "Always together" seems to be their motto. In a short time, the little one has won over not only zoo visitors but also the internet: his videos have gone viral. And Punch, though small and frightened, is already a symbol of resilience.

Veronica Fadda