Feb. 24 (UPI) — A viral video of a bullied baby monkey clinging to a stuffed orangutan at a Japanese zoo led to the Ikea toy selling out online — and some fetching big bucks on eBay.
Punch, a 7-month-old macaque, was abandoned after his birth and is being raised by keepers at the Ichikawa City Zoo, who gave him the Ikea Djungelskog stuffed orangutan to cling to for security.
A viral video shared online last week showed Punch clinging to the stuffed toy after he was dragged in circles by an adult member of the zoo’s troop.
The video made Punch a viral star, with some viewers raising concerns about the monkey’s loneliness and safety. The zoo posted a statement assuring Punch’s fans that the behavior is known as “scolding,” and the baby is uninjured and has since been seen interacting normally with the rest of the troop.
Punch’s popularity, which caused a surge in visitors to the zoo in the days after the video was posted, also extended to the toy orangutan. The $19.99 Djungelskog quickly sold out online in the United States, Japan and South Korea.
“We’re all punch’s family now,” Ikea said in an Instagram post.
The toy has now become a hot seller on eBay, with some sold for up to $100.