He went viral after being bullied and shunned by his enclosure-mates, retreating to the safety of a soft toy.
But now it appears Punch, the viral macaque, has found his happily ever after.
The famous monkey, who lives at Japan‘s Ichikawa City Zoo, has been photographed kissing, cuddling and playing affectionately with a female macaque believed to be named Momo-chan.
The pair were captured delightfully messing around together in clips posted to X and TikTok, with Punch’s trusted stuffed toy even making an appearance.
Punch and Momo-chan were spotted jumping, embracing and chasing one another in a series of videos – suggesting Punch’s spell of loneliness has finally ended.
Six-month-old Punch captured the hearts of millions worldwide earlier this year after appearing to seek comfort in a toy monkey following rejection from the other macaques in the enclosure he joined.
Adding insult to injury, it was revealed that Punch was originally given the toy by zookeepers after being abandoned at birth by his mother, to train him to cling.
Baby macaques cling to their mothers for safety and to build up their muscles – an essential skill for the primates.
The viral Japanese monkey Punch has found his happily-ever-after with a with female macaque, named Momo-chan, after the pair were spotted playing, hugging and even kissing
Punch and Momo-chan (pictured) were spotted embracing as Punch’s trusted teddy orangutan lay close by
The pair (pictured) were also captured playfully chasing one another – suggesting Punch’s spell of loneliness has finally ended
Six-month-old Punch was abandoned by his mother at birth and rejected by other primates before Momo-chan came along
Punch had been offered alternatives such as a towel or a different soft toy, but he ultimately chose the long-legged teddy orangutan as his companion.
The orphaned animal quickly became the star attraction at the zoo, located near Tokyo, with hundreds of visitors arriving to catch a glimpse of him.
He also received an outpouring of sympathy online from people concerned about his wellbeing – although it now appears his fortunes may be changing.
Alongside his new companion, recent pictures have shown Punch beginning to integrate with other monkeys at the zoo and relying less on his toy.
The baby macaque was pictured hitching a ride on the back of another monkey, sitting among adults and occasionally being groomed or hugged by his peers.
And Punch outgrowing his toy is a good thing, the zoo staff recently said.
Zoo director Shigekazu Mizushina said: ‘When he grows out of the plush toy that encourages his independence, and that’s what we are hoping for.’
Yet despite appearances, Ichikawa City Zoo have also insisted that Punch had not been bullied by his enclosure-mates to begin with.
Punch (pictured) went viral on X after being bullied and shunned by his enclosure-mates, retreating to the safety of a soft toy
Punch (pictured) was originally given the toy by zookeepers after being abandoned at birth by his mother. Monkeys instinctively hold on to their mothers for safety
Recent photos have also shown Punch (pictured) beginning to integrate with other monkeys at the zoo and relying less on his toy
In a statement released on X, the zoo said: ‘Although Punch has been scolded many times by other monkeys, no single monkey has shown serious aggression toward him.’
‘When you observe these disciplinary behaviors from other troop members toward Punch when he tries to communicate with them, [the zoo] would like you to support Punch’s effort rather than feel sorry for him.’
The zoo said Punch had not been ‘bullied,’ saying instead the behaviour reflects a ‘strict hierarchical society’ where ‘dominant individuals show “disciplining actions” toward their subordinates.’
However, they acknowledged the public outcry for Punch, adding: ‘[The zoo] share your concerns about Punch, and all the zookeepers and staff will continue to work together to ensure that Punch can continue to live a healthy life as part of this troop of monkeys.’