Two American tourists were arrested Sunday in Japan after one climbed into the enclosure of the viral baby macaque known as Punch the Monkey at Ichikawa City Zoo while the other filmed the stunt.
Police in Ichikawa, a suburb of Tokyo in Chiba Prefecture, detained Reid Jahnai Daysun, 24, a university student, and Neal Jabahri Duan, 27, who identifies as a singer. Daysun scaled a fence and entered the enclosure wearing a smiley-face mascot costume, according to authorities and video shared online. Duan recorded the incident. Zoo staff quickly intervened, and the men were led out without approaching the animals.
The pair faces charges of forcible obstruction of business for disrupting zoo operations. They have denied the allegations. The stunt forced the cancellation of a scheduled event and drew immediate condemnation online.
Punch, a nine-month-old Japanese macaque, gained international attention earlier this year after photographs showed him bonding with a stuffed orangutan toy following his mother’s abandonment. The zoo, which houses about 50 macaques, has become a popular attraction partly because of the young primate.
Ichikawa City Zoo reported no injuries to animals or people. Officials said the macaques scattered to higher ground during the brief intrusion but showed no signs of distress afterward. In response, the zoo is expanding viewing restrictions around the enclosure, installing anti-intrusion nets, increasing patrols, and considering limits on photography near the animals. Requests from content creators to film have been temporarily paused.
The incident has fueled online discussion about visitor behavior at zoos and the challenges of protecting popular animals. Japanese authorities continue to investigate the case.
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