A 7-month-old macaque named “Punch” is capturing the hearts of global netizens. Punch was born on July 26, 2025, at the Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, only to be abandoned by its mother shortly after. To comfort the motherless Punch, the zoo provided an IKEA DJUNGELSKOG red orangutan plush toy as a “surrogate mother”.
Recently, a video of Punch at the zoo’s “monkey mountain”, attempting to integrate into the group but being roughly dragged and excluded by adult monkeys, went viral on the internet. In the video, the vulnerable Punch immediately sought solace by running towards the red orangutan plush toy after the conflict, snuggling tightly to find comfort. This heart-wrenching scene of “seeking motherly comfort when feeling wronged” not only touched numerous netizens but also sparked discussions among biologists and psychologists about Harry Harlow’s famous “Harlow monkey experiments”, once again proving the importance of emotional comfort in infant development.
On social media, countless netizens empathized with Punch’s plight:
“I cried when I saw it being dragged by the big monkey and rushing to hug the orangutan toy.”
“It’s just a child, that toy is its only support.”
“Even though we know it’s natural behavior, we still hope it can be treated with gentleness.”
“I’ve ordered the same orangutan toy, holding it as if giving Punch courage.”
The “Punch craze” unexpectedly boosted sales of IKEA’s red orangutan plush toy. Due to the rush of netizens buying the “Punch-inspired comforter”, stores in Japan, Taiwan, the United States, South Korea, and other places have experienced stock shortages.
According to The Washington Post, Javier Quiñones, the Commercial Manager of IKEA’s Ingka Group, stated that they are urgently working to restock the in-demand toy.
Reported by USA Today, on February 17, Mayor Ko Tanaka of Ichikawa City met with Petra Färe, President of IKEA Japan. IKEA donated a large number of plush toys to Punch and its companions. Additionally, IKEA released photos supporting Punch on its social media accounts in various countries, such as Spain and Switzerland, and even referred to Punch as the “comfort orangutan for Punch” in some advertisements.
In response to the influx of visitors to the zoo and the concerns of netizens, the zoo issued a statement expressing that while witnessing Punch being excluded is heartbreaking, it is a necessary part of Punch’s learning process to “become a monkey”.
“Although Punch faces criticism, it has shown resilience and strength of spirit. We hope everyone can support its efforts rather than just feeling sympathy.”