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An orphaned monkey shunned by his mother at a Japanese zoo has received 2,500 cards for his first birthday.

Punch, a macaque who lives in Ichikawa city zoo, near Tokyo, sought comfort in a plush toy orangutan after being left alone in his enclosure.

But as he turned one today, he was inundated with birthday cards from around the world which were pinned to the wall of an indoor exhibit detailing his early life for visitors.

In recent months Punch had seemed to integrate with other monkeys and use his plush orangutan less – he was seen riding on the back of another monkey, sitting with the adults and being groomed and hugged.

Punch's mother abandoned him soon after he was born, believed to be because of exhaustion.

Zookeepers nursed him and gave him the toy to train him to cling, which newborn macaques would usually develop with their parents and need to survive.

Punch joined the monkey enclosure early this year and his keepers let him keep the fluffy orangutan toy.

'As Punch was trying very hard, struggling to live each day, his two keepers did everything they could while other staff watched over him,' said zoo boss Takashi Yasunaga.

Punch, a one-year-old macaque who lives in a zoo near Tokyo, shot to fame after being shunned by his mother and left alone in his enclosure with a plush orangutan toy for a friend

The monkey received 250,000 cards from around the world to mark his first birthday

After his rise to fame visitors flocked to the zoo in such numbers that the keepers had to implement stricter rules

Zookeeper Kosuke Kano, 24, said: 'Helping Punch learn the rules of monkey society and being accepted as a member is our most important task.'

'It was good to see him grow, and I'm reassured,' said Sanae Izumi, a 61-year-old Punch fan from Osaka who came to the zoo because she was worried about the baby monkey.

'He is adorable.'

Zookeeper Kosuke Shikano said of Punch's toy: 'This stuffed animal has relatively long hair and several easy places to hold.

'We thought that its resemblance to a monkey might help Punch integrate back into the troop later on, and that's why we chose it.'

Punch the monkey finally seemed to be making friends after he was photographed being cuddled by another macaque earlier this year

He was seen sitting with others in the monkeys' playground at Ichikawa Zoo after months of isolation

The once-shunned Punch appeared to be happily hitching a ride on the back of another monkey in March

Punch was so popular after images of him and his toy became popular online that the zoo had to set rules to make visitors quiet and to limit viewing to ten minutes to reduce stress for the more than 50 other monkeys.

And evidence he is outgrowing the toy is a good thing, zoo staff said.

'When he grows out of the plush toy that encourages his independence, and that's what we are hoping for,' zoo director Shigekazu Mizushina said.

Punch still sleeps with his toy every night, but Mr Mizushina said the next thing keepers want to see is the macaque bedding down with other monkeys.

Yeye Lights, a longtime Ichikawa resident, had never visited the zoo until her daughter told her about Punch, and she now has an annual visitor pass.

'I have a cake for Punch-kun, I'm celebrating with my friends,' Ms Lights said, using an affectionate Japanese honorific for boys.