Overview
- Punch, a Japanese macaque born in July 2025 and rejected by his mother, was hand‑reared and now clings to an orange IKEA orangutan plush used as a tactile surrogate.
- After a Feb. 19 video showed an adult monkey dragging Punch, the Ichikawa City Zoo said the behavior reflected protective social dynamics and not severe mistreatment.
- Staff report no change in Punch’s behavior following the incident and say he continues gradual troop integration, receiving grooming and occasional reprimands under supervision.
- The zoo’s posts and viral videos have doubled attendance for the season, drawing about 8,000 visitors over a recent weekend and generating long queues to see Punch.
- IKEA Japan’s president visited and donated additional plush toys, and news reports say the Djungelskog orangutan is selling out in multiple countries as interest surges.