The photos of the seven-month-old macaque king seeking comfort in a stuffed animal quickly went viral, and Punch gained a devoted fan base on social media who followed his struggle to be accepted by the pack.
But now the little monkey, who was abandoned by his mother, has finally started to find friends and is less reliant on the stuffed animal. According to the zoo in Ichikawa, Japan, he is "hugging and playing" with other monkeys, although adapting to the herd may take time.
"Now he communicates with other monkeys and it's amazing to see him reach those milestones," zookeeper Shunpei Miyakoshihan told CNN.
