Demand For Plush Toy Carried By Punch Rises, Stuffed Orangutan Listed For Rs 29,000 On eBay

Punch, the baby Japanese macaque, recently went viral for clinging to a stuffed orangutan toy to seek comfort. The toy has become so famous that now it's being resold at significantly higher prices, the New York Post reported. The baby monkey was abandoned by his mother and was bullied by larger monkeys at the Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan, where he was born last year. But the plushie, dubbed Ora-mama, remained by his side, providing him comfort and security. Punch gradually formed a strong bond with it. Videos of the baby macaque playing with the stuffed animal won millions of hearts online.

Also read | Mumbai Police Uses Viral Baby Monkey Punch's Story To Spread Awareness About Helpline Number

"This stuffed animal has relatively long hair and several easy places to hold," zookeeper Kosuke Shikano said earlier. "We thought that its resemblance to a monkey might help Punch integrate back into the troop later on, and that's why we chose it."

The toy is part of IKEA's Djungelskog collection, which originally costs around Rs 1,650 (approximately $20). However, due to overwhelming demand, IKEA has sold out of the plush toy, leading to a surge in resale prices.

According to the report, the plush toy was being sold on eBay for prices ranging from $100 to $355 (approximately Rs 8,300 to Rs 29,000).

Also read | Man Claims Senior Fired From Company For Stealing His Helmet, Internet Calls It "Cruel Punishment"

Photo Credit: Reuters

The smaller version of the plush toy, measuring 8 inches, is also sold out on IKEA's website. IKEA has acknowledged the sudden popularity of the plush toy and is assessing restocking options to meet the overwhelming demand.

The outlet mentioned that Petra Fare, who is the President and Chief Sustainability Officer of IKEA Japan, visited Ichikawa City Zoo last week to donate multiple replacements of the Djungelskog orangutan soft toy for Punch.

After the videos of Punch getting bullied by elder monkeys went viral, the zookeepers said that all of that is part of the learning process, and he is steadily integrating with the troop. "I think there will come a day when he no longer needs his stuffed toy," Shikano said.