Everyone on the Internet knows Punch the Monkey at this point – and now Google is celebrating the global sensation in its own way with a sweet digital effect.
Punch, a baby monkey at Japan’s Ichikawa City Zoo, became everyone’s favourite internet animal, after footage of him dragging around a stuffed orangutan in the zoo enclosure went viral.
Quickly dubbed the “lonely monkey,” Punch whose clips spread far and wide across X had people cooing and in their feels as they witnessed his forlorn looks and the comfort he found with his stuffed toy.
With the whole world rooting for baby Punch, Google has joined the party with its playful yet heartwarming tribute for the internet’s new favourite star.
What happens when you Google “Punch the monkey”?
Try typing “Punch the monkey” into Google and you’ll see it trigger a cute digital effect as the screen fills up with floating hearts with a tiny monkey icon inside it.
Searching this viral phrase will see our results page turn into a sea of bright pink hearts with a cute animated monkey holding an orangutan plushie.
The surprise search feature has delighted users around the world with the animation attracting 7.6 million likes and counting.
Google’s interactive tribute is also a showcase of how the love and fondness for Punch continues to grow worldwide.
Who is Punch?
Punch, is a baby macaque at Japan’s Ichikawa City Zoo, who was abandoned at birth by his mother.
After being hand-reared for the first few months of his life – with zookeepers introducing the orangutan plushie as a surrogate mother – Punch was introduced to the macaque troops in the zoo.
His initial struggles to assimilate and understand the hierarchy of the troops often left Punch alone, shunned by other monkeys in the enclosure and seeking comfort in his plushie – the visuals of which went viral with people getting emotional over Punch’s plight.
As the world continues to watch Punch’s struggles with high emotions, recent updates suggest that Punch is slowly assimilating and making friends in the troops.
Have you tried typing “punch the monkey” into Google? Visit Lyrical Muse for more viral stories.
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