Viral Baby Monkey Learning to Make Friends After Abandonment

A Japanese baby monkey that stole hearts around the world has been learning to bond with other macaques in his zoo enclosure, after being abandoned by his mother months ago. The six-month-old named Punch was born at Ichikawa City Zoo near Tokyo last summer, and found comfort in a stuffed orangutan after he had to be hand-reared. He eventually moved in with a troop of macaques in January and has been “gradually deepening his interactions,” the zoo said. Video posted to Threads on Tuesday, February 17, shows Punch carrying around his signature toy orangutan, along with another clip of a baby identified as Punch climbing on the back of an older monkey in an adorable interaction. “Another cute Punch today. Hopping onto your friend’s back,” the caption read.