Punch the monkey stole the internet’s heart. Now fans are sweeping up his IKEA plushie
By Jack Bantock
Published on March 3, 2026.
IKEA's orangutan plushie, Punch the monkey, who was abandoned at Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan after birth, has become a viral hit. The seven-month-old macaque was given the toy as a replacement for his mother by zookeepers who hand-raised him. The toy has sold out at all but five of the chain's 54 US stores, with only one of Japan's 12 IKEA outlets showing it in stock. The Swedish flatpack giant is now working to restock the stuffed animal, which is part of its Djungelskog (jungle forest) collection and costs $19.99. In Malaysia, a portion of every plushie sale will be donated to support oranguran conservation efforts in the country.
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