Have you seen PUNCH? The little snow monkey who has won the world's heart?!
Gunners & Ali - Ali's Random Facts
Tuesday, 24 February 2026 - 2 minutes
Okay, today’s random fact isn’t just cute… it might actually make your heart melt.
There’s a baby monkey in Japan named Punch, and he’s become famous all over the world - not for doing tricks, but because he carries around a stuffed toy everywhere he goes.
Punch is a young Japanese macaque - sometimes called a snow monkey - who was sadly rejected by his mum shortly after he was born at a zoo near Tokyo. Keepers had to hand-raise him, and because he felt anxious and alone when he joined the other monkeys, they gave him a soft toy orangutan for comfort.
And here’s the amazing part... he treats it like a security blanket, hugging it, carrying it, and even running back to it when he gets scared.
Scientists say primates (including monkeys and humans) use comfort objects in really similar ways when they need emotional support.
Videos of little Punch cuddling his toy went viral online, with millions of people cheering him on, with hundreds flocking to Japan's Ichikawa City Zoo to see the adorable little monkey.
Source: Instagram: ish_animal_hu | Picture: hikaru33017
