Viral Punch the monkey IKEA toy sells for hundreds on eBay

An IKEA plushie that's been dragged around a Japanese zoo enclosure by a viral baby macaque is selling for hundreds of dollars on eBay after selling out online.

Punch, an adorable abandoned monkey at the Ichikawa Zoo in Japan, has the internet swooning over his obsession with his stuffed orangutan, which zookeepers gave to him as a way to cope without his mother. His mother abandoned him "as soon as he was born" on July 26, 2025, according to the zoo.

The baby is currently being raised by zoo staff.

Punch's fame exploded last week when he was approached by an adult monkey in his troop who proceeded to drag him on the ground in circles before the baby managed to escape and run to his stuffed orangutan, which was sitting in a corner of the enclosure. An onlooker captured a video of the incident, which has since gone viral.

Shortly after the attack, IKEA posted a photo of a plush monkey wrapping its arms around the comfort orangutan listed as Djungelskog, which the company sells for $19.99, with the words: "We're ALL Punch's family now."

More plushies for Punch, other zoo animals

In a statement addressing the attack, the zoo said: “Punch has been scolded by other monkeys many times in the past and has learned to socialize with them."

The statement continued: “In the video, Punch runs to his stuffed orangutan toy after being dragged. However, as usual, he left the stuffed toy after a short while and was communicating with other monkeys.”

Before the incident, the Scandinavian furniture store donated IKEA stuffed animals for Punch and other animals at the zoo. On Feb. 17, Ichikawa City Mayor Ko Tanaka posted a photo on X alongside IKEA Japan President Petra Färe with IKEA stuffed animals for the baby monkey and other zoo animals.

eBay listings fetching hundreds

Now that the toys are no longer available online, resellers are jacking up the prices. Paste BN found several listings for the toy on eBay, where it's now being sold for hundreds of dollars. Some of the listings started at $100 and reached $384. IKEA told The Washington Post the item is sold out in the United States, Japan and South Korea.

There appears to be a market for the toys. Several of the plush orangutans sold for around $100, according to completed listings.

Meanwhile, the zoo is issuing frequent progress reports to update fans on the little monkey.

Paste BN has emailed IKEA for comment.

(This story was updated to add a video.)