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Punch, the adorable monkey, continues to surprise us and melt our hearts. If you’ve been following along with his saga, you’ll know that despite some initial setbacks—which led him to find comfort in his plushie mom—the little macaque has made some progress toward integrating with his troop. And now, he’s demonstrated just how smart he is; a few days ago, Punch was seen waving goodbye to the crowds visiting his home in Ichikawa Zoo in Japan.
Punch seems to have learned this behavior from watching the people who come to his enclosure. A now-viral clip catches the Ichikawa Zoo PA announcing it was closing for the day and wishing visitors a safe trip home. A few seconds later, Punch raises his tiny arm and waves his hand, as if also saying goodbye to the guests.
Still, little Punch hasn’t let go of the quirks that made the world fall in love with him. He sprints toward and clings onto his human caretaker when they enter the enclosure to feed the macaques. And of course, Punch continues to carry his beloved IKEA orangutan plushie around, which helps him cope after some minor scoffs with other monkeys.
So far, Punch has become friends with other monkeys his age and has been helped by and groomed by some adults in the troop. On a recent update, the zoo said, “It seems he scraped his nose a bit, so we gave it a light disinfection. He’s eating heartily as usual and still as mischievous as ever. He’s made a new monkey friend and was playing together happily.”
You can watch Punch wave goodbye to the zoo guests in the clip below. To stay up to date with Punch, make sure to follow Ichikawa Zoo on X.
A few days ago, Punch the monkey was seen waving goodbye to the crowds that visit his home in Ichikawa Zoo in Japan.
Punch first little wave ❤️ pic.twitter.com/LTjEOmZhEk
— Wholesome Side of (@itsme_urstruly) March 2, 2026
Punch learned to wave to his fans when the zoo closes. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ifxPPAnmBK
— The Figen (@TheFigen_) March 2, 2026
So far, Punch has become friends with other monkeys his age, as well as being helped by and groomed by some adults in the troop.
3/1(日)のパンチ
飼育員「少し鼻を擦りむいてしまったようなので軽く消毒をしました。ごはんはモリモリ食べていますし、相変わらずのワンパクっぷりですね。新しい子ザルの友達もでき、とても楽しそうに遊んでいました」#市川市動植物園#がんばれパンチ pic.twitter.com/vKvhBYOS66— 市川市動植物園（公式） (@ichikawa_zoo) March 1, 2026
Still, little Punch hasn’t let go of the quirks that made the world fall in love with him, like clinging onto his caretakers and carrying around his plushie mom.
: Punch the monkey once again clung to his zookeeper during mealtime on March 5. pic.twitter.com/SRv8aLGkXM
— Out Of Context Animal (@OOCAnimaI) March 5, 2026
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