The Story
A Little Monkey's Big Love
Born on July 26, 2025 at Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba, Japan, Punch (パンチ) is a Japanese macaque who came into the world full of curiosity — but was abandoned by his mother days later. Weighing just 500 grams, he needed round-the-clock care. Two dedicated keepers stepped in to hand-raise him, bottle-feeding him and keeping him close to the sounds and scents of other monkeys to prepare him for life with the troop.
To ease his anxiety, keepers gave him a soft plush orangutan to cling to. The bond was immediate. Punch (パンチ) carried her everywhere — to breakfast, during sleep, on every small adventure through his enclosure. Fans nicknamed her Oranmama (オランママ), and the name stuck.
On February 5, 2026, the zoo shared his story on X. By morning, the world already loved him.