Reporting in March 2026 describes a meaningful shift in Punch-kun's social life at Ichikawa City Zoo. Adult macaques have been observed grooming him, a behaviour primatologists typically read as a marker of acceptance within a troop.
Keepers and outside observers note that he is spending less time attached to his IKEA Djungelskog orangutan plush, though the plush has not disappeared from his routine. He appears more willing to move, rest, and feed near other members of his group.
Editor's note: this update is drawn from press reporting, not a formal statement from the zoo. For official information about his care, please refer to Ichikawa City Zoo.