Feb. 20, 2026Updated Feb. 25, 2026, 9:47 a.m. ET
Punch the monkey can’t catch a break.
Punch, a baby macaque at Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan, went viral earlier in the week for dragging a stuffed orangutan around his enclosure. The baby monkey was abandoned by his mother at birth, the zoo’s website says, and was raised by zoo staff. The stuffed animal was given to Punch to help him cope with loneliness. Social media users have poured an abundance of love on Punch the past few days, but a new video posted on Thursday, Feb. 19 has animal lovers in distress.
In the video, Punch is approached by a larger monkey that drags him on the ground in several circles before Punch is able to run to a corner of the habitat to take shelter with his stuffed orangutan. As the two monkeys scream out, a collective gasp can be heard from onlookers.
See heartbreaking video of Punch getting dragged
Zoo says Punch ‘shows resilience’ in video
On Friday, Feb. 20, Ichikawa City Zoo shared a social media statement about the viral video. Before the video was recorded, Punch attempted to communicate with another baby monkey in the habitat but was rejected, the zoo said. Punch was then confronted by an adult monkey – likely the mother of the baby monkey Punch tried to interact with. In the statement, the zoo said the mother may have thought her baby was annoyed with Punch, which upset her.
“While Punch is scolded, he shows resilience and mental strength. When you observe these disciplinary behaviors from other troop members toward Punch, when he tries to communicate with them, we would like you to support Punch’s efforts, rather than feel sorry for him,” the zoo’s statement reads.
IKEA Japan donates more stuffed animals to zoo
Punch’s beloved stuffed orangutan appears to be IKEA’s Djungelskog, available for $20 in stores and on the IKEA website. On Tuesday, Feb. 17, IKEA Japan President Petra Färe visited the zoo to donate a bundle of stuffed animals for Punch and other animals at the facility.
Various IKEA accounts around the globe have tapped into Punch’s love for his orangutan. On Monday, Feb. 16, the official IKEA Spain X account posted an edited photo of the Djungelskog stuffed animal holding Punch in a hug and on Thursday, Feb. 19, the IKEA Switzerland Instagram posted a similar photo but of the retailer’s Sandlöpare stuffed chimpanzee holding the orangutan toy.
Punch update: Despite new video, abandoned monkey is making progress
Punch was born at Ichikawa City Zoo on July 26, 2025, and was abandoned by his mother “as soon as he was born,” according to a translation of the zoo’s website. Though the baby monkey has gone viral for his relationship with the stuffed orangutan, in recent social media updates, the zoo has shared that Punch has had success communicating with other monkeys in his habitat.
“He’s getting groomed, playfully poking at others, getting scolded and having all sorts of experiences every day, steadily learning how to live as a monkey within the troop,” the zoo said in a statement on Feb. 6.
Following the virality of Punch, Ichikawa City Zoo posted a notice to its website on Feb. 20, asking visitors to be mindful of the facility’s small size and rules at the monkey viewing enclosure.
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gc****@******ay.com.