Punch, a baby macaque that stole the hearts of animal lovers around the world, is outgrowing his Ikea djungelskog plushie that comforted him after he was initially rejected by his mother and other monkeys at a zoo in Japan.

Images of the seven-month-old dragging around a toy bigger than him drew attention to the residents of Ichikawa city zoo near Tokyo. When other monkeys shooed the baby away, Punch rushed back to the toy orangutan, hugging it for comfort.

But he has been using the toy less and has even started to mix with other macaques at the zoo, where visitors have been flocking to see him get through his ordeal. On a recent day, Punch was seen climbing on the back of another monkey, sitting with adults and sometimes getting groomed or hugged.

“It was good to see him grow, and I’m reassured,” said Sanae Izumi, a 61-year-old fan from Osaka who came to the zoo because she was worried about the baby monkey. “He is adorable!” Other visitors have posted video clips of Punch in which he appears to be mixing with other monkeys.

“Helping Punch learn the rules of monkey society and being accepted as a member is our most important task,” said Kosuke Kano, a 24-year-old zookeeper.

Punch was abandoned by his mother after his birth, presumably because of exhaustion. Zookeepers nursed him and gave him the toy to train him to cling, an ability newborn macaques need to survive.

He was then filmed multiple times being dragged and chased by older Japanese macaques inside the enclosure. Early clips showed him wandering alone with the toy after being pushed away by other monkeys, and clutching it tightly while being harassed.

The videos prompted questions about why monkeys abandon their babies. Alison Behie, a primatology expert at Australian National University, said such abandonment is unusual but can occur under certain conditions, citing age, health and inexperience as possible factors.

Behie said: “In Punch’s case, their mother was a first-time mother, indicating inexperience.

“Zookeepers also suggest Punch was born during a heatwave, which would be a high stress environment. In environments where survival is threatened from outside stress, mothers may prioritise their own health and future reproduction rather than continue to care for an infant whose health may be compromised by those environmental conditions.”

When images of him and his toy showed up online last month, Punch became so popular that the zoo had to introduce rules asking visitors stay quiet. It also limited viewing times to 10 minutes to reduce stress among its 50 or so monkeys.

Zoo officials have been encouraged by signs that Punch is spending far less time with his cuddly companion.

“When he grows out of the plush toy that encourages his independence, and that’s what we are hoping for,” the director, Shigekazu Mizushina, said.

Although Punch still sleeps with his toy every night, Mizushina said zookeepers hope they will soon see him sleeping huddled up with other monkeys.