Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 02:18pm on 18 Feb 2026,Wednesday International
A six-month-old macaque named Punch is drawing attention after videos showed him hugging a soft toy for comfort at a zoo in Japan. Keepers said his mother rejected him soon after birth. Staff then stepped in and raised him by hand. They provided blankets and soft toys to calm him. Punch quickly bonded with a plush orangutan and now carries it around his enclosure. He is often seen holding it close and sleeping with it. Keeper Kosuke Shikano said, “The stuffed animal’s fur made it easy to grab and likely provided a sense of security.” Punch is now slowly meeting other macaques again. (PC: X)
