IKEA won over the internet with a heartfelt gesture for Punch, the baby monkey who went viral after his mother abandoned him.
Born in July 2025 at Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba, Japan, the monkey became a social media talking point for his adorable attachment to a stuffed toy.
The plushie, given to him by his caretakers, is believed to be IKEA’s popular DJUNGELSKOG orangutan. Touched by the story, IKEA Japan donated several stuffed plushies to Punch during a recent visit to the zoo.
“My faith in humanity is slightly restored,” one user commented after IKEA’s thoughtful move.
IKEA Japan attempted to cheer up baby Punch with more plush toys
Image credits: Japan Zoo Story/YouTube
Petra Fare, CEO, President, and Chief Sustainability Officer of IKEA Japan, visited the seven-month-old macaque on February 17.
The Swedish furniture company made a donation of several other soft toys to the zoo. There were more of the same orange orangutan and as well as other plushies to keep Punch company.
Image credits: Japan Zoo Story/YouTube
“IKEA Japan presented Punch, a Japanese macaque at the city’s zoo, with a gift of his favorite stuffed toy,” read the translated statement by Ichikawa City. “We hope he’ll use the gift as emotional support and gradually become more integrated into the group. Let’s continue supporting him!”
Image credits: ichikawa_shi/X
Ichikawa City’s mayor, Ko Tanaka, was also present during IKEA’s visit.
“A little monkey (Punch-kun) who’s been working hard and growing all by himself has become so beloved that many people now cheer him on with ‘Ganbare, Punch-kun!’ when they see him together with his stuffed toy, treating it like his mother,” Mayor Tanaka later wrote on X.
“Today, the president of the company that makes those stuffed toys came to Ichikawa Zoo and Botanical Garden with a huge number of them.”
“Ganbare” is a Japanese expression that translates to a version of “Let’s go, you can do this!”
Punch made new friends after clinging to the IKEA orangutan for days
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Baby monkeys tend to cling to their mothers during infancy.
As Bored Panda reported earlier, Punch hung on to the orangutan plushie instead when his mother rejected him after birth, breaking hearts on social media.
“It rips my heart every time I see this,” one user said after watching Punch play with the orangutan, or as the internet labeled it, “Ora-mama.”
Without maternal protection, Punch lacked adequate social development and was initially not accepted by other members of the troop. Ichikawa City Zoo’s caretakers had to bottle-feed and care for the monkey.
Image credits: ichikawa_shi/X
After a few days of clinging to the orangutan, Punch left the toy behind and approached the other monkeys in the enclosure. They eventually accepted him, said Miyakoshi Shunpei, a zookeeper, to TV Asahi.
Recent videos showed Punch now bonding with an adult monkey, who has been grooming and caring for him.
“A happy turn for baby Punch, but a sad turn for the plush mom that will be left to wither in perpetual loneliness,” one commenter wrote about the development.
Despite the gesture, many netizens doubted IKEA’s intentions
Image credits: ichikawa_shi/X
Many applauded IKEA Japan for trying to help the monkey as he struggled with isolation.
“Lowkey, this is actually wholesome. Shoutout to IKEA Japan for coming through for Punch,” read one tweet. Another said, “Punch deserves every bit of joy. Let’s keep supporting him.”
Others saw it as nothing more than a marketing strategy for the home decor company.
“IKEA is a marketing genius,” one user said.
“This is attention arbitrage. IKEA is converting a high-empathy viral narrative into a low-cost CSR campaign,” another user complained.
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“Send him to the jungle and give the stuffed plushies to kids,” commented one individual.
Some even thought it was pointless, as plush toys could never serve as an alternative for real socialization with other monkeys in the troop.
“Giving him toys is just a band-aid for the real issue,” a user pointed out. “If we actually cared about him, he wouldn’t be behind glass in the first place. IKEA plushes aren’t a substitute for a troop.”
IKEA Japan’s philanthropic activities include helping people find a safe home
Image credits: Japan Zoo Story/YouTube
Regardless of the fan sentiment, IKEA’s charitable actions do not end at gifting plushies to a monkey.
According to the company’s website, its Family Donation Program raises funds to help children, teenagers, and families facing financial hardship secure safe housing.
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IKEA Japan earmarks ¥10 ($0.065) from every purchase for the fund, and the proceeds go to planning, providing, and furnishing the housing facilities.
The community budget secured for the 2026 financial year is ¥73,396,130 ($474,104).
Image credits: Japan Zoo Story/YouTube
At the same time, IKEA Japan closely works with the Association for Walking with Youth and furnishes the nonprofit organization’s self-support home, House of Rest and Recuperation.
The association provides a safe haven for teenagers who do not have access to or are unable to live in a home.
“Sometimes kindness doesn’t need words.” Netizens reacted to IKEA donating plushies to abandoned baby monkey Punch.
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