PETALING JAYA: Punch the monkey may have found himself a new girlfriend.
Based on several recent TikTok and Instagram clips recorded by visitors, the seven-month-old baby macaque in the Ichikawa City Zoo has been seen interacting with another female macaque in the enclosure.
Punch has been recorded kissing, cuddling and playing with the older female macaque, which is believed to be named Momo-chan.
This is a stark difference compared to earlier clips of him seen earlier in mid-February this year, where Punch, who was abandoned by his mother, was 'bullied and scolded' by other monkeys in the enclosure. He would then depend on his IKEA stuffed orangutan and human caretaker for comfort.
Many fans find the interaction between Punch and Momo-chan adorable; some jokingly comment that Punch is 'too young for a girlfriend'.
It was reported that the zoo had issued a statement that Punch was not bullied, noting that he is becoming less reliant on the stuffed toy because increasing numbers of monkeys were looking after or playing with him.
“While dominant individuals may show disciplining actions toward their subordinates, as macaques do naturally, these actions in the macaque society ‘differ from human abuses’,” it said on X.
“Punch spends most of the day peacefully,” the zoo added.
Punch has found his other halfHis new companion turned out to be the same color as the plush “mom” he used to carry everywhere. pic.twitter.com/5W57rUliwR— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) March 16, 2026
