India, Feb. 28 -- Punch the monkey has become a viral internet sensation and won people's hearts after a video showed the orphan Japanese macaque struggle to settle in the zoo. The clip had shown Punch relying on his plushie after initially failing to gain acceptance among other monkeys in the enclosure. The abandoned monkey was being bullied, and almost the entire world ended up supporting and cheering Punch on.

The single moment touched a cord with many and Punch became an instant favorite. Since then, people have been following regular updates on Punch which include him making a new friend and finding someone to look after him in the zoo. However, now a claim has gone viral that Punch is dead.

"Punch the monkey found dead in Atlanta,...