Punch reminds us it’s okay not to be okay
It’s not surprising that the plight of Punch, a baby macaque abandoned by its mother, has touched hearts around the world. Zookeepers at Japan’s Ichikawa Zoo gifted Panchi, or Punch, with an IKEA Djungelskog, an orangutan soft toy, to offer him comfort and a companion he could always embrace. Pictures and videos portray a small and fragile monkey struggling to find acceptance from his kind.
The sight of the little monkey clutching its orange plushie, especially after being bullied or rejected by other macaques, strikes close to home. Who has not clung to a soft, cuddly animal while feeling affectionate, and even more so when one is feeling vulnerable and alone? There’s empathy in watching Punch drag his toy all over the zoo enclosure, attempting to make the orangutan’s arms wrap around him in an embrace, and refusing to trade the dirty plushie for a new one.
There isn’t any human on the planet that has never felt alone, excluded, or insecure. Even in happy times children delight in soft, cute and fluffy toys that are symbols of love. I have owned a collection of cuddly rabbits, both real and plushie, since childhood. My bunso used to keep a stuffed toy on her table while taking online exams, for moral support. Adults carry on this remnant of childhood by attaching small stuffed toys to their bags in the name of fashion, identity, or emotional need.
After watching Punch form a bond with Djungelskog, IKEA decided it wanted to do more, by extending the comfort and love that the orangutan plushie gave to the small macaque. The company is introducing Project Panchi Akap Pabalik, an initiative that transforms a simple hug to meaningful and lasting impact. For March and April 2026, IKEA Philippines is aiming to donate up to P1 million from soft toy sales to support key social and environmental causes. For every soft toy purchased during the campaign period, P50 will go toward IKEA’s initiatives in partnership with Better World organization.
The project aims to extend comfort beyond homes and into communities by supporting the welfare of vulnerable children, mental well-being initiatives, and tarsier preservation and animal welfare.
This is timely because with the viral explosion of Punch being shared around the globe, people have been trooping to IKEA stores to buy not just Djungelskog, but even a small monkey symbolizing Punch, and other soft toys. It seems humans never outgrow the need for acceptance, affection and comfort.
The story of Punch reminds us that it’s okay to be sad, or not okay, in a world that can be increasingly difficult to navigate. It shows us how that kindness can be extended even in the smallest of acts, in the care of compassionate zookeepers or in the soft warmth of a plushie. We can take this warmth and compassion and share it with vulnerable children while at the same time having a permanent and endearing reminder of the story of Punch.
