Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 07:21pm on 20 Feb 2026,Friday International
Punch, a six-month-old Japanese macaque abandoned at birth at Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan, has become a global internet sensation after videos of him struggling to make friends with other monkeys while clutching an IKEA djungelskog stuffed orangutan went viral. Born in July 2025 during a heatwave, Punch was hand-reared by zookeepers who gave him the plushie to build muscle strength. The hashtag #HangInTherePunch spread worldwide, drawing over 8,000 zoo visitors last weekend, double last year's numbers. IKEA Japan's president personally visited to donate more plushies. Late Show host Stephen Colbert purchased his own djungelskog on air. Punch is now gradually making friends, receiving grooming and hugs from fellow monkeys.
