MONKEY JOY STEPHEN Colbert is warming hearts with his sweet message to the adorable monkey Punch breaking hearts across the world.
Punch, a baby macaque who was abandoned by his mother, has gone viral for his love for a cuddly toy and now Late Show host Stephen Colbert has gotten involved.
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Punch the monkey has sought solace in his plush orangutan after being abandoned by his motherCredit: X/ichikawa_zoo
Stephen Colbert offered a sweet message of support to the monkeyCredit: CBS
Punch has captured the hearts of zoo visitors and social media fans alike with his heartbreaking storyCredit: x
“After his mom abandoned him — she said she was going out for a pack of bananas, I’m sure she’ll be back — Punch struggled to make friends with other monkeys in the exhibit, which is why they gave him the stuffed orangutan, and now he takes it everywhere,” Colbert explained on Wednesday’s episode of The Late Show.
Punch quickly captured hearts after visitors at the Ichikawa City Zoo in Ichikawa, Japan noticed he carried a stuffed orangutan everywhere he went.
The baby monkey was abandoned by his mother at birth in July 2025.
After initially being raised by zookeepers, Punch struggled to integrate with the rest of the monkeys in his enclosure.
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Zookeepers then gave the lonely macaque a stuffed monkey to replace his mother.
“If you think Punch is sympathetic, wait till you see the official pictures of djungelskog. She looks like she’s regretting all of her life choices,” Colbert said, holding up his own stuffed monkey.
Punch’s companion, called the djugelskog plush orangutan, is sold at Ikea.
“Here’s the thing. We looked it up, and the djungelskog retails for only $19.99, and honestly, we can all use a little comfort right about now,” Colbert continued.
