Sawt Falasteen - Baby monkey Punch to celebrate first birthday

Abandoned by his mother and spurned by some peers, the young macaque shot to stardom after he was seen clinging to a plush orangutan toy from IKEA for comfort at Ichikawa City Zoo outside Tokyo.

In February, the zoo started releasing social media video posts about Punch's clumsy efforts to join his troop, spawning a dedicated fanbase under the hashtag #HangInTherePunch.

He is growing well, in good health and is now playing with others, zoo official Takashi Yasunaga told AFP on Friday.

"He is less and less turning to the orangutan doll. He is communicating with other animals and playing with other baby monkeys," he said.

"He is building his position as a member of the group."

The zoo, which previously saw at most a few hundred visitors a day, became a hotspot for thousands of local and international fans.

The facility has also been inundated with calls and emails -- some praising its efforts but many others criticising how Punch is kept.

Ahead of Sunday, some 2,500 birthday cards from around the world were put on display.

"Punch was all over TikTok. Videos just kept coming up. He's just so cute. And my girlfriend loves him. I love him," American tourist Sarren Eilers said on Friday.

"I've seen him on videos, I figured, gotta come see him in person. You know?"

Punch's celebrity at times drew the wrong kind of attention, with American YouTubers breaking into the monkey enclosure in May and an unidentified person aiming a laser pointer at the animals last month.

Meanwhile, the zoo has used Punch's celebrity to solicit donations, raising 58 million yen ($350,000) by mid-July, which paid for a new air-conditioning system.

"Thanks to Punch's popularity, the entire group (of monkeys) and the entire zoo have benefitted from improved conditions," Yasunaga said.

Punch now spends his day resting under the shade, becoming more active in the cooler, early evening hours.

Local fan Junko Hara, 38, said Punch is "very strong and resilient".

"He just doesn't get discouraged. I support that resilience of his and watching him really cheers me up too," Hara told AFP.

Another fan, 66-year-old Yukie Mibayashi, said, "People all around the world are supporting Punch, so I want to tell him, 'Everyone's watching you. Keep going!'"

H.Jarrar--SF-PST