Mother Japanese macaque abandonment of their children is a phenomenon that occasionally occurs in other zoos in Japan, so it should not be that unusual. However, people around the world who saw the baby Japanese macaque clinging to a stuffed orangutan and dragging it around on video likely empathized with him.
In the video, the stuffed animal appears to have no hair or breasts. Mr. Punch is about the same size as his mother, soft, and even in two or three months, he instinctively clings to warm objects and seems reluctant to let go of his "mother."
IKEA is making the most of Mr. Punch's advertising power. IKEA donated countless "orangutan stuffed animals" to Mr. Punch. Looking at the photos, there is a huge variety of "orangutans" in color, size, and facial features. It's unclear why dozens of different types of orangutans live inside a furniture store.
It will be interesting to see how Mr. Punch reacts if he is given one of these stuffed animals.
It is unclear whether Mr. Punch recognizes the faces or colors of stuffed animals. How would he react if he were given a Teddy Bear or a Hello Kitty stuffed animal?
In any case, considering his future, it seems he needs to be weaned off his stuffed animals, not just his parents, as soon as possible.
For now, it seems he's still sleeping alone with his IKEA stuffed animal. It may be some time before Mr. Punch is able to sit, sleep, and eat with his friends.
The Punch incident has been a great success for Ichikawa City Zoo and Botanical Garden's self-promotion. What's more, it has provided even greater global publicity. IKEA has now become something of an important "corporate sponsor" of Mr. Punch.
There is no IKEA where I live (there are apparently 54 stores in the US, but only 12 in Japan), so I have never been to an IKEA store, but I wonder why they sell orangutan stuffed animals？
https://jp.reuters.com/video/watch/idOWjpvC4T24BH4ASI245SY7B16ZIT4YR/?dicbo=v2-XuddThi
JP Archive
Baby Japanese macaque "Punch"'s IKEA stuffed toy, which he uses as a parent, sells out worldwide (Japanese subtitles, February 24th)
February 25, 2026
Panch, a baby Japanese macaque abandoned by his mother at Ichikawa City Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Chiba Prefecture, has become a hot topic after clinging to an IKEA orangutan stuffed toy as a mother figure. The video has gone viral, causing the same type of stuffed toy to sell out in IKEA stores not only in Japan but also in Singapore and other countries (no narration).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utylkPzDLCA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsYned2gmUs
https://apnews.com/video/punch-is-growing-up-and-ready-to-say-farewell-to-his-prized-stuffed-orangutan-toy-0dd23990544b40a4992babd4b808e85c
https://x.com/AP/status/2026214263283449983
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/punch-the-orphan-macaque-is-outgrowing-his-21956418.php
https://www.instagram.com/p/DU9QgFlDGfd/
https://jp.reuters.com/video/watch/idOWjpvC4T24BH4ASI245SY7B16ZIT4YR/?dicbo=v2-XuddThi
https://edition.cnn.com/world/punch-monkey-ikea-stuffed-toy-spc
https://news.jp/i/1396652578791899497
https://apnews.com/article/japan-baby-monkey-zoo-7911e0597837b97199a810601f91c35d
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVRiQ2FDX4R/
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