Viral TikTok monkey boosts Ikea Djungelskog orangutan plush sales

A sad baby monkey that became a TikTok star has turned an Ikea plush into a must-have item. The Djungelskog orangutan is selling out in many US stores and fetching high prices on resale sites. Known as Punch, or Panchi-kun, the seven-month-old Japanese macaque was born in July and was abandoned by his mother before being rejected by other monkeys at Ichikawa City Zoo.

Zookeepers soothed him with a brown Ikea orangutan, and videos of him clinging to the toy — hugging it, carrying it and fending off curious monkeys — have racked up millions of views, helping a hashtag that translates to "hang in there, Punch" trend worldwide. Viewers identified the toy as Ikea's DJUNGELSKOG orangutan.

Javier Quiñones, commercial manager at Ingka Group, said Ikea has "seen a clear increase in sales of the DJUNGELSKOG orangutan toy, particularly in Japan, the US, and South Korea" over the past few days, and the item is sold out in some stores as the company works to restock it.

Japan, Ichikawa City

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