Meet Rafa, the baby Koala, who loves his comfort stuffed toy just as much as Punch, the baby monkey.
In a video posted to TikTok, the International Fund for Animal Welfare Organization (IFAW) introduced the world to Rafa and his stuffie. After Punch went viral for clinging to his favorite stuffed animal, the IFAW took the opportunity to share clips of Rafa holding it, with the text overlay reading, “Punch isn’t the only one that relies on stuffed animals for comfort and safety.”
In the caption, the organization also revealed that “In rehabilitation, stuffed animals are used to mimic koala mothers for koala joeys that have been orphaned 🥺.”
In another video shared by the organization, they revealed that Rafa was orphaned after he and his mother were “hit by a car” in Australia.
“Unfortunately, the mother didn’t make it,” Rafa’s caretaker explained. “But luckily, Rafa was hidden in Mom’s pouch, and he was perfectly healthy and well without any injuries.”
They also revealed that, in their care, Rafa is “growing up really well [and strong]” and “putting on lots of weight.”
🐶SIGN UP to get “pawsitivity” delivered right to your inbox with inspiring & entertaining stories about our furry & feathered friends🐾🐾
People quickly fell in love with Rafa and his adorable stuffed toy, with some users calling for Punch and Rafa to meet up.
“I’m not emotionally stable enough for this 😭,” one person declared in the comments. “Please tell him I love him.”
“I would protect Rafa and Punch with my life,” one user added, while others were moved by Rafa’s story.
“Oh, I can’t keep falling in love with baby animals, I’ll never be able to rock and hold 😭😭,” another user added.
At one point in the video, Rafa seemed to notice the camera and gave a quick little wink, which made users even more obsessed with him.
“Did that baby koala just wink at me? I think I’m in love,” one user declared, while another loved that “He winked at me🥹.”
“Punch, Rafa, and their respective stuffies are cordially invited to a slumber party at my house,” another person wrote. “It’s forever…I won’t be giving them back, but they will have all the stuffies they want ❤️.”
This story was originally published by PetHelpful on Mar 13, 2026, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here.