ICHIKAWA, Japan (AP) — 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.
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This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Punch, a young Japanese macaque, plays at Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Garden in Ichikawa, east of Tokyo, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Punch, a young Japanese macaque, plays at Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Garden in Ichikawa, east of Tokyo, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
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A visitor reaches toward birthday messages for Punch, a young Japanese macaque, displayed ahead of his first birthday at the Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Garden in Ichikawa, east of Tokyo, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
A visitor reaches toward birthday messages for Punch, a young Japanese macaque, displayed ahead of his first birthday at the Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Garden in Ichikawa, east of Tokyo, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
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Punch, a young Japanese macaque, plays at Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Garden in Ichikawa, east of Tokyo, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Punch, a young Japanese macaque, plays at Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Garden in Ichikawa, east of Tokyo, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
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Punch, a young Japanese macaque, plays at Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Garden in Ichikawa, east of Tokyo, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Punch, a young Japanese macaque, plays at Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Garden in Ichikawa, east of Tokyo, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
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Kumi Ishizawa, a first-time visitor from Kobe, western Japan, displays a birthday message for Punch, a young Japanese macaque, at the Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Garden in Ichikawa, east of Tokyo, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Kumi Ishizawa, a first-time visitor from Kobe, western Japan, displays a birthday message for Punch, a young Japanese macaque, at the Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Garden in Ichikawa, east of Tokyo, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
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Japanese macaques rest and groom one another in their enclosure at the Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Garden in Ichikawa, east of Tokyo, Thursday, July 23, 2026. Punch is not pictured. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Japanese macaques rest and groom one another in their enclosure at the Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Garden in Ichikawa, east of Tokyo, Thursday, July 23, 2026. Punch is not pictured. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
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Punch, a young Japanese macaque, pauses at the shade at Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Garden in Ichikawa, east of Tokyo, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Punch, a young Japanese macaque, pauses at the shade at Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Garden in Ichikawa, east of Tokyo, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
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Punch, a young Japanese macaque, plays at Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Garden in Ichikawa, east of Tokyo, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Punch, a young Japanese macaque, plays at Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Garden in Ichikawa, east of Tokyo, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
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Visitors gather to watch Punch, a young Japanese macaque, at the Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Garden in Ichikawa, east of Tokyo, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Visitors gather to watch Punch, a young Japanese macaque, at the Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Garden in Ichikawa, east of Tokyo, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
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Punch, a young Japanese macaque, eats at Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Garden in Ichikawa, east of Tokyo, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Punch, a young Japanese macaque, eats at Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Garden in Ichikawa, east of Tokyo, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
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A visitor looks at birthday cards for Punch, a young Japanese macaque, displayed ahead of his first birthday at the Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Garden in Ichikawa, east of Tokyo, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
A visitor looks at birthday cards for Punch, a young Japanese macaque, displayed ahead of his first birthday at the Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Garden in Ichikawa, east of Tokyo, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
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