Overview
- Google quietly added an interactive homage that appears when users search “punch the monkey,” showing the macaque cuddling a plush in search results.
- IKEA’s Djungelskog orangutan plush—matching Punch’s comfort toy—sold out in many markets as the company works to restock; a Malaysia campaign will channel part of sales to orangutan conservation.
- Ichikawa’s zoo reported about 9,600 visitors over a single weekend and said February attendance doubled year over year, prompting limits on front‑row viewing time and bans on selfie sticks to reduce stress.
- Recent videos show Punch grooming and playing with other macaques as reintegration progresses under veterinary oversight, with longer periods away from the plush.
- Enforcement intensified in the region: Argentina’s federal police seized an illegally transported caí monkey in Buenos Aires and opened a judicial case, while Peru’s SERFOR rescued a young friar monkey now under Serpar care with plush support and heated bottles, with officials noting many trafficked animals cannot be safely released.