Abandoned Baby Monkey Found Comfort In a Stuffed IKEA Toy. Then the Internet Became His Family
Somewhere between your feeds right now, a tiny Japanese macaque named Punch is clutching a stuffed orangutan from IKEA and generating the kind of internet phenomenon that brands spend millions trying to manufacture.
Punch, whose real name is Panchi-kun, is a male Japanese macaque — a species also known as a snow monkey. He was born at the Ichikawa City Zoo on July 26 but was quickly abandoned by his mother.
For a baby macaque, that’s a dangerous situation.
Zookeeper Kosuke Shikano told Reuters on Feb. 20: “Japanese baby macaques typically cling to their mothers to build muscle strength and for a sense of security.”
Zookeepers hand-reared Punch, trying rolled-up towels and several stuffed animals. Nothing worked.
Then they gave him a stuffed orange orangutan sold by IKEA — and everything changed.
Punch the Monkey Found His Surrogate
Choosing the IKEA orangutan stuffed animal was deliberate. Shikano explained the logic to Reuters.
“This stuffed animal has relatively long hair and several easy places to hold. We thought that its resemblance to a monkey might help Punch integrate back into the troop later on, and that’s why we chose it,” he said.
The IKEA Djungelskog orangutan had the right texture and proportions to mimic what Punch would normally grip while clinging to his mother.
The long faux fur gave him something to hold. The shape gave him something to wrap around.
Videos shared by the zoo show Punch was rarely seen without it.
Punch the Monkey Goes Viral Online
The story didn’t stay local. One video showed Punch being bullied by other monkeys in the troop, and that footage hit a nerve.
X users in Japan began sharing the hashtag がんばれパンチ — loosely translated as “HangInTherePunch.” The rallying cry spread fast.
Punch gained a fanbase extending well beyond Japan. Many fans now travel to the zoo to see the monkey in person. The response caught the zoo off guard.
“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all visitors who came to the park today,” the zoo wrote on X. “The staff is greatly surprised by the unprecedented and unexpected crowds we experienced.”
IKEA Supports Punch the Baby Monkey
On Feb. 17, Ichikawa City Mayor Ko Tanaka announced on X that Petra Fare, president and chief sustainability officer of IKEA Japan, donated a “huge number” of similar stuffed animals to the zoo in honor of Punch.
IKEA USA’s official Instagram account joined in too.
“We’re ALL Punch’s family now,” they wrote alongside a photo of the stuffed animal. “Sometimes, family is who we find along the way,” the company added in the photo.
The brand didn’t create this moment. A baby monkey and a zookeeper’s instinct did.
But IKEA’s response — donating product and amplifying the story rather than trying to own it — turned a viral animal story into something with a longer cultural shelf life.
Punch Is Slowly Finding His Way
Punch is building his connections with the other monkeys in the troop, and his keepers see real progress.
“Punch is gradually deepening his interactions with the troop of monkeys!” the zoo wrote on X. “He’s getting groomed, playfully poking at others, getting scolded, and having all sorts of experiences every day, steadily learning how to live as a monkey within the troop!”
Shikano sees a future where the stuffed companion becomes unnecessary.
“I think there will come a day when he no longer needs his stuffed toy,” he told Reuters.
That day hasn’t come yet. But the trajectory is moving in the right direction.
How to Follow Punch’s Story
Ichikawa City Zoo posts regular updates about Punch on its X account, including video of his daily interactions with the troop.
The hashtag がんばれパンチ remains active and is the easiest way to find fan content, translations and new clips.
The specific IKEA stuffed animal — the Djungelskog orangutan — has already developed a following of its own online. If past viral animal moments are any guide, availability may fluctuate.
As one X user put it, Punch is “proof that even in the toughest starts, love (and a good cuddle buddy) wins.”
The monkey that was abandoned and bullied now has millions watching his progress. A stuffed toy that cost $20 dollars at IKEA became the bridge between isolation and belonging.
And a small city zoo in Japan is dealing with crowds it never expected, all because a zookeeper picked the right toy off the shelf.
Production of this article included the use of AI. It was reviewed and edited by a team of content specialists.
This story was originally published February 20, 2026 at 1:54 PM.
