A tiny macaque named Punch-kun has turned a local Japanese zoo into a global feel-good story.
Born on July 26, 2025, at Ichikawa City Zoo in Ichikawa, he was rejected by his biological mother moments after birth, USA Today reports. Zoo staff stepped in and raised him by hand.
To ease his loneliness, they gave him a stuffed orangutan. The plush – identified as IKEA’s “DJUNGELSKOG” – became his constant companion. According to ThaiRath Online, Visitors say Punch treats it like a real mother, carrying it everywhere.
Photos and videos soon went viral. Japanese netizens rallied under the hashtag “Fight on, Punch-kun,” cheering him on as he struggled to integrate with other monkeys.
Boost in sales
IKEA Japan sent its CEO Petra Färe to deliver an identical orangutan, giving Punch a backup “mother”, along with a collection of other stuffed animals.
While the story has touched hearts, it has also boosted business.
After a video showed Punch being dragged by an adult monkey, IKEA shared a social media image of one of its plush monkeys hugging the orangutan, with the message that Punch now has family everywhere. The toy quickly became even more sought after, El Paso Times reports.
And according to The Guardian, an IKEA spokesperson in Australia said sales of the orangutan surged by more than 200 percent in just one week. Nearly 1,000 were sold across stores and online during that period.
Sales of the 36-centimetre Djungelskog orangutan plush loved by Punch have also surged in Singapore. The toy is now sold out in both physical stores and online, IKEA Singapore confirmed to The Straits Times.
As for Punch-kun, there is encouraging news.
According to the zoo, several monkeys have begun accepting him into the group.
Still, he keeps his plush mother close.
And thanks to IKEA, he now has a spare.
