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Lisa, a member of the globally renowned K-pop girl group BLACKPINK, has shared a sweet highlight from her recent Japan trip with fans.
On Saturday, March 7, the Rockstar singer turned to her Instagram Stories to share that she went to visit the viral baby monkey named Punch at Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba Prefecture, Japan.
In the first story, Lisa shared a zoomed-in snap of Punch, who went viral last month after videos of him carrying an orangutan plush toy made headlines, with a hand-heart emoji.
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Another click featured Lisa also carrying an identical orangutan plushie, which she showed off to Punch.
Dressed in a grey sweatshirt, jeans and a white beanie, the 28-year-old waved at the baby monkey using the plushie's hand, causing fans to melt at the sweet interaction.
Following the update, fans flooded the social media platforms, as they appreciated the heartwarming moment.
"Never expected that I would see Lisa x Punch," one fan wrote on X.
Moreover, Japanese users on X also pointed out that a "small, cosy zoo" which the "local kids visit on kindergarten field trips" has gained such momentum that a globally famous pop star is visiting because of Punch.
"Punch-kun is popular even with world-famous singers," another user penned.
For the unversed, Punch was given the orangutan plushie as a substitute for his mother, who abandoned him at birth.
The monkey initially made headlines after videos of him getting "scolded and dragged" by the adult monkeys circulated the internet.
However, the zoo issued a statement noting, "While Punch is scolded, he shows resilience and mental strength. When you observe these disciplinary behaviours from other troop members towards Punch when he tries to communicate with them, we would like you to support Punch's effort rather than feel sorry for him."
Now, it has been reported that Punch has shown clear signs of progress, as he now leaves his plushie behind and interacts more often with other monkeys.
