Punch, the orphaned monkey at a Japanese zoo that stole many people's hearts by clinging to an orangutan plushie, is marking his first birthday with a flood of well-wishing messages from his fans around the world - even though he now has friends and is no longer holding on to the toy.

Punch was abandoned by his mother after his birth a year ago Sunday, presumably because of exhaustion. Zookeepers nursed him and gave him the toy to develop his gripping ability, something newborn macaques need to survive.