PUNCH the monkey has gone from lonely to loved up, as the viral baby macaque was spotted smooching a new flame at his zoo home.
The orphaned monkey had melted hearts across the world after clinging to a plush toy when his mum abandoned him.
Punch, an orphaned macaque, has been seen with a new companionCredit: TikTok/@ikaaa1805
He has found company in Momo-chan, a light brown female monkeyCredit: TikTok/@ikaaa1805
The pair has been seen playing at their zoo in japanCredit: TikTok/@ikaaa1805
But he has since been caught kissing, cuddling and playing with a female macaque believed to be called Momo-chan.
Clips shared online show the pair canoodling, chasing each other and hanging out together, with Punch’s trusty stuffed orangutan even making a cameo.
Fans are calling Momo-chan his new girlfriend, and reckon the once-lonely monkey has finally found some company.
One person quipped on X: “Punch found a girlfriend and you’re still single.”
Another pointed out that Momo-chan even looks similar in colour to the plush toy Punch famously carried around for comfort.
Punch, who was born last July at Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan, was rejected by his mother at birth and hand-raised by keepers.
He quickly became a global sensation after heartbreaking videos showed him clinging to a soft toy for comfort.
Punch would also be pushed away when he tried to mix with other monkeys.
Even football stars like former Manchester United striker Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez were moved to tears by the viral Punch monkey video.
The 37-year-old even posted online to offer his thoughts on Punch.
Hernandez was seen overcome with emotion as he scrolled through the videos, with the caption: “Why are you crying? It’s just a monkey…”
He wrote: “Punch Monkey moved us because he is strong and he is real.
“He tries to defend himself without fully knowing how, and we have all done this at some point.
Punch was seen by zoo visitors in Japan snuggling up to his toyCredit: AFP
The tiny monkey bonded with the plush toy after zoo keepers gave it to him for comfortCredit: x
Punch would drag the stuffed toy everywhere he wentCredit: Reuters
“There is no malice in him only emotion, innocence, and a desire to exist.
“He teaches us that: You can feel deeply without living in complaint (…).”
But now, things seem to be looking up.
Recent footage showed Punch beginning to integrate with the troop, sitting among adults, hitching rides and even being groomed.
He has also reportedly been relying less on his toy “mum”.
Zoo bosses insist Punch was never bullied, despite the tough scenes that went viral.
The zoo said in a statement: “Although Punch has been scolded many times by other monkeys, no single monkey has shown serious aggression toward him.”
They explained the behaviour is part of a “strict hierarchical society” where “dominant individuals show ‘disciplining actions’ toward their subordinates.”
“When you observe these disciplinary behaviours from other troop members toward Punch when he tries to communicate with them, [the zoo] would like you to support Punch’s effort rather than feel sorry for him.”
Keepers say Punch growing out of his beloved plush orangutan toy from IKEA is a positive sign.
“When he grows out of the plush toy that encourages his independence, and that’s what we are hoping for,” zoo director Shigekazu Mizushina said.
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