People are flocking to a zoo east of Tokyo for a glimpse of a baby monkey known for its strong attachment to a stuffed animal.
Punch is a Japanese macaque at Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba Prefecture. He was born at the facility last July and abandoned by his mother soon after. He was raised by zookeepers instead, who bottle-fed him and kept him in a separate space from the other macaques.
The zoo gave Punch an orangutan plushie, which he started taking everywhere and clung to as if it were his mother.
Punch was allowed to join the other macaques in a shared habitat in January. He initially struggled to integrate, but is socializing more and spends less time with the plushie.
Visitors crowded around the macaque habitat on Tuesday, which was a holiday in Japan. They watched as Punch was groomed by other monkeys and clung to zookeepers when they entered to give feed.
A second-year elementary school student from Tokyo said Punch was even cuter in-person than in the videos.
A tourist from Osaka said seeing Punch was the top priority for her trip, so she was glad she was able to get a glimpse.
A zoo official said Punch is spending less time alone with the plushie. He said he is happy visitors are rooting for Punch to be accepted by the other monkeys, even if it means they will get fewer chances to see him carrying around the plushie.