Punch the Monkey Fell Into a Pond in March...Then August Happened

Filmed: August 2026 (a look back). Monkey Mountain reopened Oct 21, 2026. Punch monkey fans: in March, Ichikawa City Zoo said Punch seemed to have fallen into the pond on Monkey Mountain. This summer, he was back in the water. At 2:13 you'll see him paddling with his head up and slapping the water. 0:00 A Look Back: March vs. August 0:28 The Pond 1:42 Testing the Water 2:21 Into the Pond 3:40 Can Monkeys Swim? 4:22 Splash! 5:02 Drying Off 5:51 Nap Time 6:44 One More Swim 7:34 Before the Break What the zoo said in March: on March 7, Punch seemed to have fallen into the pond before the 3 p.m. feeding. The next day, the zoo said it had identified the monkey it believed made him fall. What fans filmed this August: a hot summer, watering to cool the monkeys down, little ones testing the edge of the pond, and Punch in the water, kicking, paddling and looking right at the camera. Did you know? Japanese macaques reportedly swim, even in the sea. In 1953, a young female named Imo began washing sweet potatoes in water, and the habit spread to her peers, then to older kin. Monkey Mountain closed to visitors from Sept. 1 for sunshade work and reopened on Oct. 21, 2026. Please check the zoo's official website before you visit. We love Punch and deeply respect the keepers at Ichikawa City Zoo, a small local zoo doing its best for him every day. What do you think changed between March and August: the heat, or him? Leave a message for Punch in the comments, too. #PunchMonkey #IchikawaZoo #BabyMonkey #animalbehavior #monkey