BLACKPINK’s LISA Meets Baby Punch In Japan
The baby monkey went viral in February after being seen clinging to an orangutan plushie.
Courtesy of LISA
Courtesy of LISA
LISA spends her time away from the stage and her busy schedule and visits the adorable baby monkey Punch at Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba Prefecture, Japan.
On her Instagram Stories, the BLACKPINK member can be seen holding her own IKEA Djungelskog orangutan plushie and meeting Punch at the zoo for the first time.
The Japanese macaque (snow monkey) became an overnight sensation in February after the zoo posted Punch’s backstory online, while photos of him with the orangutan plushie went viral in Japan. The hashtag #HangInTherePunch has gained traction on social media.
Punch was born in June 2025 and was named after Monkey Punch, the creator of the Japanese manga series and media franchise, Lupin the Third. At such a young age, he was abandoned by his mother, with zookeepers attributing it to him being born during a heatwave. This could cause a very stressful environment for mothers who may choose to focus on prioritizing their mental health and future reproduction.
Since then, Punch has struggled to connect and socialize with the rest of the monkeys in the zoo. With this, zoo officials gave Punch the plushie for companionship and to help him have a sort of surrogate mother figure. As of this writing, Punch is showing signs of independence and development as he is seen slowly interacting with the other monkeys and often leaving the plush toy behind.
LISA and the rest of BLACKPINK have dropped their third mini-album, DEADLINE, at the end of February. An exclusive pop-up runs for a limited time at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City. Blinks can purchase official merch and get exclusive perks at the pop-up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Punch is a Japanese macaque born in June 2025 at Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba Prefecture, named after Monkey Punch, creator of the manga franchise Lupin the Third. He went viral in February after being abandoned by his mother due to heatwave-related stress.
LISA visited Punch during time away from her BLACKPINK schedule, meeting the monkey in person and sharing the moment on her Instagram Stories while holding her own IKEA Djungelskog orangutan plushie.
Zoo officials gave Punch a plush toy as a surrogate companion after he struggled to socialize with other monkeys following his mother’s abandonment, helping ease his transition toward independence.
Yes. As of this writing, Punch has shown signs of independence, increasingly interacting with other monkeys at the zoo and gradually leaving the plush toy behind.
BLACKPINK released their third mini-album, DEADLINE, in late February 2026, supported by an exclusive limited-time pop-up at SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City offering official merch and fan perks.
