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 Sunday.

Punch the baby orphan macaque is outgrowing the orangutan plushie that comforted him through early rejection from his mother and other monkeys.

Punch, a young Japanese macaque at a zoo in Japan, has gone viral after a video showed him being yanked around by a larger monkey before scrambling away and clinging tightly to his favorite comfort item: a stuffed orangutan toy.

If your current workout has gotten a little stale, maybe it's time to 'punch' it up a bit!

"You have to come in and work every day and you have to take your work ethic to another level," he said. Since he stepped on campus at IKE, Punch has been up with the big boys, which can be a daunting transitioning from middle school to high school hoops. As a freshman, Punch didn't get a nod for all-district teams. Punch, who dreams of playing college basketball and getting a degree in sports management, has left his mark at IKE. And he hopes his lessons passed on to the current underclassmen will be passed on for years to come.