‘Punch’ the monkey is finally making friends and fitting in

A baby Japanese macaque named Punch drags a stuffed orangutan at Ichikawa City Zoo, in Ichikawa, Chiba, Japan, on February 19. (Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters via CNN Newsource)

CHIBA, Japan — Images of him being bullied by his enclosure-mates, retreating to safety and clinging to a plushie look-alike for comfort won hearts around the world.

But finally, Punch the monkey is fitting in.

And his zookeeper has told CNN that the seemingly rough videos that alarmed Punch’s global legions of fans are just part of growing up for the seven-month-old macaque, who lives at Japan’s Ichikawa City Zoo.

The pint-sized primate has found new friends and is relying less on the orangutan stuffed toy given to him as a substitute for his mother, Shunpei Miyakoshi said, during CNN’s recent visit to the zoo.

“Now he’s communicating with other monkeys and it’s great to see him reaching those milestones,” he said.

He said Punch now hugs and plays with other monkeys, a stark contrast to previous heart-wrenching online clips showing how he was tackled and chased away by his own kind.

The zoo said in a social media post that some higher-ranking members of the troop, who “have demonstrated aggression more frequently,” had been temporarily removed from the enclosure earlier this month.

But the keeper said even those behaviors were considered normal in the world of the Japanese macaque, and peers are trying to teach Punch the hierarchy of their society.

“Japanese macaques tend to be physical because, unlike humans, they don’t have languages taught to them… If they were being serious, they would bite much more aggressively,” he said.

He also said widely shared videos capturing rough encounters only account for a few minutes of Punch’s day.

But the road to full integration remains long. During CNN’s recent visit to the zoo, the baby monkey was spending most of his time alone.

Videos popping up on social media occasionally show hairy moments. In one clip, Punch was wrestled to the ground by an older peer, causing him to run frantically to his plushie for emotional support.

“He still uses it when he feels it’s necessary – like when he’s going to sleep, or when he’s been disciplined by an adult monkey and feels a bit down – he goes to it to calm himself down,” said Miyakoshi.

“He’s been doing his best to grow, learning from those early experiences.”

Visitors from around the world, including K-pop star Lisa from Blackpink, are flocking to the zoo to catch a glimpse of the internet star.

Some say Punch’s story strikes a personal chord.

Nasser Hashem, from the U.S., planned a trip to Japan with his sister just to see Punch.

“I think we all could relate to him to some sense being in an unfamiliar environment, not knowing the people around you, and then just trying to fit in as much as we can,” he said.

Melanie Fortier, also from the U.S., said she just couldn’t pass up the “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity to see the baby monkey.

For her, Punch gives hope at a time when negative news around the world fills her social media feed.

“When you see something like an animal coming up – just hopefulness, and just they have nothing but care and love to give – it is refreshing sometimes and a breath of fresh air,” she said.

By Hanako Montgomery, Junko Ogura, Chris Lau, CNN