Orphaned monkey celebrates first birthday with thousands of greeting cards

A monkey in Japan has received nearly 2,500 birthday cards from people around the world. Punch, who lives at Ichikawa Chiba Zoo Botanical Garden, turned one year old recently. His mother left him when he was born, probably because she was too tired to care for him. Zoo staff looked after him instead.

Punch became famous online, and his story reached fans in many countries. People sent greeting cards to wish him a happy first birthday. The zoo received around 2,500 cards in total.

The response shows how much people care about animals, especially those that have had a difficult start in life. Social media has helped Punch's story travel far beyond Japan.