A lonely monkey finding comfort in a stuffed toy is the internet's new favourite animal

Punch, a lonely seven-month-old macaque monkey, has struck a chord with millions of people worldwide.

He was abandoned by his mother after his birth in July and was hand-raised by staff at the Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan.

Punch was introduced to the other macaques in January, but without a mother to show him the ropes, he has struggled to fit in with the troop.

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Lonely and seeking comfort, Punch has been seen clinging to an IKEA stuffed orangutan he was given.

"Baby Japanese macaques immediately cling onto their mother's body after birth to build muscle strength; they also get a sense of security holding on to something," zookeeper Kosuke Shikano told the Guardian.

"However, because he had been abandoned, Punch had nothing."

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Viral videos of him being rejected by other monkeys and hugging his toy have made him the newest internet celebrity with millions of fans rooting for him.

"We need to give Punch a gun," one user wrote.

"My mission in life now is to rescue Punch from the horrible monkeys he's with and make him my baby," another said.

The zoo has responded to one particularly heartbreaking video of Punch being dragged by an adult monkey, saying he was merely being scolded as he learns how to socialise.

"In order to integrate Punch into other Japanese monkey troops, we anticipated that this kind of challenge may arise," the zoo said.

"Although Punch has been scolded many times by other monkeys, no single monkey has shown serious aggression toward him.

"While Punch is scolded, he shows resilience and mental strength."

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Punch's plight has led to "unprecedented and unexpected" crowds and two-hour wait lines at the zoo.

IKEA Australia has also confirmed it has sold out of the orangutan toy online that Punch loves so much.

But there now appear to be signs that Punch is making friends, as recent videos show him being held by another monkey, groomed by two others and sitting with adults.

The zoo yesterday said he is "steadily fitting into the group".

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