A sad baby monkey has turned an Ikea plushie into a viral must-have.
Punch, also known as Panchi-kun, is a seven-month-old Japanese macaque born in July. His mother abandoned him shortly after birth, and he was later rejected by other monkeys at Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan. To soothe him, zookeepers gave him a brown orangutan plush from Ikea.
Videos of Punch clinging tightly to the orangutan toy — hugging it after being brushed off by an older monkey, carrying it everywhere, even fending off curious monkeys who try to grab it — have racked up millions of views on TikTok. The clips turned the lonely macaque into an internet star.
A Japanese hashtag that translates to “hang in there, Punch” has also been trending, with users around the world rallying behind the baby monkey.
Viewers identified the plush as Ikea’s Djungelskog orangutan, and now it’s swinging off shelves at top speed.
Javier Quiñones, commercial manager at Ingka Group, which operates Ikea stores worldwide, told Business Insider on Monday that Ikea has “seen a clear increase in sales of the DJUNGELSKOG orangutan toy, particularly in Japan, the US, and South Korea” over the past few days.
The toy is sold out in some stores in those regions, and the company is “making sure that the toy is back in stock as soon as possible,” Quiñones said.
“The toy has long been one of our most sought-after across markets, and the story from Japan is now giving it a little extra love,” he added.
An Ikea spokesperson said the Japan team has reached out to the zoo to explore ways to help Punch.
“On February 17, IKEA donated several soft toys, including additional orangutans, as well as storage items to support Punch and enhance areas for children visiting the zoo,” the spokesperson said.
“Just like the zookeepers, we sincerely hope that Punch will soon become comfortable in an environment with the other monkeys and no longer need the soft toy,” the spokesperson added.
The orangutan plushie retails for $19.99 in the US, both in stores and online. Business Insider’s check of Ikea’s website on Tuesday found the toy out of stock at most US locations, with only about six stores still offering click-and-collect or in-store purchases.
The frenzy also spilled onto resale platforms, where prices climbed quickly.
A search on eBay on Tuesday showed multiple listings for the orangutan plush, with one seller asking as much as $328, more than 16 times the retail price.
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