Punch the monkey has become a viral sensation, touching the hearts of millions of viewers worldwide. The baby macaque first drew attention after a viral a video showed him getting dragged across the enclosure by an adult monkey, and running to a stuffed orangutan for support.
Numerous videos depicted Punch sleeping with the stuffed IKEA toy and seemingly using it as anxiety support. We learned that his mother had abandoned him and he was forced to move into a new enclosure with strangers. Punch was bullied — well, attacked — and cast out by the other animals.
Many on the internet felt a sense of empathy, relating to the monkey on a deep personal level. Maybe they felt the same sense of loneliness at one point in their lives.
Punch, the viral monkey that was abandoned by his mother, was attacked by another member of his troop. He immediately went to seek comfort from his plush toy and wasn’t hurt. pic.twitter.com/ReDsx4heDM
— Dudes Posting Their W’s (@DudespostingWs) February 20, 2026
In the modern world of phones and the “male loneliness epidemic,” a baby monkey clinging to a stuffed animal for comfort hit harder than it maybe should have.
Sure enough, Punch began to be included. But anyone who’s experienced large social groups knows exactly what happened next.
These monkeys are your typical clout-chasing social climbers.
After going viral and getting name-dropped by IKEA, Punch became the world’s most sought-after influencer.
The other monkeys took notice.
It became apparent to them that it was in their best interest to become friends with Punch and get in on the photoshoots, maybe they too could land themselves an IKEA sponsorship.
Most of us know this all too well.
At a work event when your boss rewards you with the most sought-after project in the office, your formerly condescending coworker suddenly wants to put your drinks on their tab.
Or in college when your classmates discover your family owns a beach home right before spring break.
It’s clear your 15 minutes of fame won’t just be for you. People will do anything to get themselves a pat on the back, most often by becoming friends with those who offer them that chance.
Punch the monkey was just a lonely young runt of the litter. No one cared about him; he had nothing to offer them. All of a sudden he was a star, and all the monkeys wanted their chance at an Oscar.
In today’s world of Instagram and TikTok, your association with those deemed high status means everything. Friendships are based on this, even romantic relationships. Internal value means nothing.
What Punch can learn from this is to be wary of his fellow macaques once his fame has cooled down. Pretty soon, that stuffed orangutan might be his only source of companionship once again.
What can we learn from this? Pay attention to who shows up when you have nothing to offer them. And when the social climbers inevitably appear? Punch that baboonery out of them.
