Punch the Macaque's Journey to Monkey Society

0:00On March 12, Punch, the six-month-old orphan McCack at Ichikawa City Zoo near Tokyo, shot to fame last month after video showed him hugging a plush toy for comfort. Rejected by the other monkeys in his group, the little guy became a social media sensation as he quung to his stuffed companion. The zoo quickly clarified that this is just normal behavior in their strict monkey hierarchy. Older McCack's discipline younger ones like Punch to teach social rules and it's not bullying or abuse. They even removed a couple of more aggressive adults temporarily to smooth things over. Fans poured into the zoo by the hundreds, cheering Punch on and leaving murals in his honor as far away as Melbourne. The attention got so intense that keepers limited visits to 10 minutes and asked everyone to stay quiet to avoid stressing the troop. Lately, Punch is making real progress toward fitting in. Recent photos show him riding on the backs of adults, getting groomed, and even joining group huddles while he relies less on his toy during the day.

1:01Keepers are thrilled he's outgrowing the plush friend, a sign of growing independence. Their goal now is seeing him sleep cutled up with the troop, fully part of monkey society.