Ikea Singapore’s orang utan plushie out of stock after baby monkey Punch goes viral

SINGAPORE – Move over, Moo Deng, because 2026 looks to be the year of Japanese baby macaque Punch and his stuffed orang utan from Ikea.

The seven-month-old male monkey – who was abandoned by his mother soon after birth at Japan’s Ichikawa City Zoo – and his soft toy became a global sensation over the weekend, thanks to clips of Punch seeking comfort in his plushie, even as he struggled to integrate with the rest of his monkey community.

And now, the 36cm Djungelskog orang utan plushie beloved by Punch – which retails for $19.90 – is sold out at the Swedish home and lifestyle retailer’s physical and online stores in Singapore, as confirmed by Ikea Singapore to The Straits Times.

A spokesperson for the company said it is expected to be restocked from March 2, adding: “Customers can check the most up-to-date availability on our website.”

Meanwhile, the 20cm mini version, which retails for $2.90, is still available in Ikea Jurong, added the spokesperson. It is also available on the Ikea Singapore online store.

“We’re delighted to see that the Djungelskog soft toy has brought comfort to Punch and that their heartwarming interaction has resonated with people around the world.

“It has long been a well-loved item among our customers, and while interest in the product naturally fluctuates over time, recent videos may have helped shine an extra spotlight on the product.”

Other stuffed animals in the Djungelskog collection, such as the brown bear, are still in stock.

When Punch was born in July 2025, he was cared for by staff at the zoo, which is located in the Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo.

When he was six days old, the zookeepers introduced the stuffed orang utan from Ikea to help mitigate the absence of his mother. Punch immediately clung onto the toy, as baby macaques are entirely dependent on their mothers for several months.

From then on, the pair became inseparable, even after he was reintegrated with the rest of the monkey troop in January 2026.

But Punch had difficulty fitting in. Undated clips on social media showed him being rejected by the other monkeys, and frequently playing alone.

In one clip posted on TikTok on Feb 19, Punch was seen being bullied by several larger macaques, and managed to escape to seek solace in his emotional support companion, which he often dragged around the enclosure with him.

Videos of Punch have steadily gained traction on social media over the month of February, but it was only in the past week that people outside Japan got caught up in the saga of Punch’s daily struggles.

On Feb 17, Ichikawa mayor Ko Tanaka posted a photo of himself and Ikea Japan president Petra Fare with a plethora of stuffed animals that the company had donated to the zoo.

And in solidarity with “Punch-kun”, people around the world have been acquiring their own stuffed orang utans from Ikea.

According to an article published by The New York Times on Feb 19, the company said it has seen “a clear increase in sales of the Djungelskog orang utan toy, particularly in Japan, the US and South Korea”.

Meanwhile, Ichikawa City Zoo has reported on X that it is doing its best to keep up with the surge of visitors flocking there to catch a glimpse of its star attraction.

A tweet on Feb 22 said: “Thanks to everyone’s good manners, it was a calm atmosphere with no fights or anything like that. Punch, around 5pm, was meticulously groomed by two monkeys and is steadily fitting into the group.”