Worrying update on Punch the monkey as he has to see the vet after people grow concerned

Punch the viral monkey has had to see the vet after people visiting the zoo grew really concerned about his health, and the zoo has shared an update.

The baby snow monkey who lives at the Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan went viral in February after a photo of him dragging an orangutan teddy around took over the internet. He was abandoned by his mum and raised by staff at the zoo, who gave him the plushy from IKEA to keep him company and socialise him.

Now, everyone is obsessed with the baby Japanese macaque, and thousands of people are going to the zoo every single day to see him. People started growing concerend last week after they spotted that Punch was only walking on three of his legs and holding one of his arms close to his chest. 

Some people were saying he injured it in a fall, while others thought he was hurt while being bullied by one of the older monkeys in the enclosure. The zoo has now revealed that Punch had to be checked over by the vet, but thankfully he seems okay.

“Regarding the left arm that’s been causing some concern, we had the vet examine it again today. There’s no swelling or heat, but we’ll continue to monitor it going forward. Today, too, he ate his food with gusto and spent the day full of energy,” they said in a statement on Twitter. Thank god!

3/8(日)のパンチ
飼育員「ご心配の声もある左腕について、今日改めて獣医の診察を受けました。腫れや熱感は無いですが、今後も経過観察を続けます。今日もごはんをモリモリ食べ、元気いっぱいに過ごしていました」#市川市動植物園#がんばれパンチ pic.twitter.com/g4Hcmy1NlO

— 市川市動植物園（公式） (@ichikawa_zoo) March 8, 2026

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It looks like Punch is okay, but he’s still being closely monitored. As for his general wellbeing, Punch seems to be integrating with the group a lot more, and the zoo where he lives has insisted he isn’t being bullied by the other monkeys.

“The number of monkeys who look after or play with Punch is also increasing. Because of this, the time Punch spends away from his stuffed toy has increased,” they said.

“Our zoo has a team of three veterinarians who check on the health condition of all animals, including Punch, on a daily basis. At this time, there has been no evidence that Punch has been attacked in a way that would threaten his survival.”

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Featured image credit: Ichikawa City Zoo/Twitter