Punch the Monkey: Japan's Viral Baby Macaque Who Captured the World's Heart
Move over, Moo Deng. The undisputed feel-good viral story of 2026 belongs to Punch — a tiny, orphaned Japanese macaque at the Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, whose heartbreaking and hopeful journey from loneliness to belonging has united millions of people around the world.
Who Is Punch the Monkey?
Punch the monkey — known in Japan as Panchi-kun (パンチくん) — was born on July 26, 2025, at the Ichikawa City Zoo. He was named after Monkey Punch, the mangaka who authored Lupin the Third. He was abandoned by his mother, who lacked interest in raising him. The day after his birth, zookeepers began hand-raising him with bottle feeding. To comfort him in the absence of a mother, they gave him an IKEA DJUNGELSKOG stuffed orangutan plush — which fans quickly nicknamed "Oran-Mama."
Punch was integrated with other macaques at the zoo's Monkey Mountain, home to around 60 monkeys, on January 19, 2026. Due to the lack of a maternal figure, Punch initially struggled with socializing, showing signs of anxiety and isolation.
How Punch Went Viral
On February 5, 2026, the zoo made an online post about Punch's backstory, which became an overnight sensation. More images of Punch with the orangutan plushie soon went viral in Japan and abroad, and the hashtag #がんばれパンチ — or #HangInTherePunch — began circulating online.
Clips of Punch racked up tens of millions of views, some surpassing the 30-million mark on TikTok and Instagram. Even Stephen Colbert referenced Punch in his late-night opening monologue.
Videos circulating online showed other monkeys shoving Punch, leaving him only his emotional support toy as comfort. One X user wrote: "we, as a society, should create a panchi-kun protection squad." Another declared: "I will fly to Japan and beat up the mean monkeys."
The Zoo's Response and IKEA's Heartwarming Gesture
Zookeepers clarified that "no single monkey has shown serious aggression toward" Punch, and asked the public to "support Punch's effort rather than feel sorry for him," adding: "While Punch is scolded, he shows resilience and mental strength."
On February 17, IKEA representatives visited the Ichikawa City Zoo and donated 33 stuffed toys to Punch. IKEA Japan posted publicly: "We're ALL Punch's family now."
The donation backfired — in the best way possible. The $20 stuffed IKEA DJUNGELSKOG orangutan toy sold out across multiple IKEA regions worldwide within days of Punch's story going global. Resellers on eBay quickly listed the plush for prices as high as $350.
Punch's Progress: Latest Updates as of February 25, 2026
As of February 24, 2026, the news from Ichikawa City Zoo is genuinely hopeful. On February 23, a keeper shared that there were no scenes of Punch being scolded that day and that he was observed playing with the other baby monkeys. During mealtime, he climbed down from the keeper's foot on his own and began eating independently.
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Punch born at Ichikawa City Zoo | July 25–26, 2025 |
| Hand-raising by zookeepers begins | July 2025 |
| Integrated into Monkey Mountain troop | January 19, 2026 |
| Zoo viral post launches global attention | February 5, 2026 |
| IKEA donates 33 stuffed toys | February 17, 2026 |
| DJUNGELSKOG plush sells out worldwide | Mid-February 2026 |
| Punch spotted playing with baby monkeys | February 23, 2026 |
| Over 6,000 visitors in a single day reported | February 2026 |
Why the World Can't Stop Watching
Punch's attachment to his IKEA plushie companion mirrors findings from Harry Harlow's landmark 1950s psychology experiments, which demonstrated that infant primates consistently preferred soft, comforting surrogate mothers over wire ones that provided only food.
The world is watching, rooting, and waiting — and for now, Punch and his little stuffed orangutan are proof that even the internet can agree on something worth caring about.
