Crowds gathered at Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba on Saturday for an early first-birthday celebration for Punch, the Japanese macaque known worldwide for clinging to a stuffed orangutan for comfort.
The event was held one day before he turned one.
Footage showed macaques playing in the enclosure, walls covered with birthday displays and visitors writing cards, while others waited to see Punch.
Takashi Yasunaga, a section manager at the zoo, said more than 2,500 cards had arrived from supporters worldwide, far more than the zoo could display.
AloJapan.com