Two US nationals have been arrested after one jumped into the enclosure of an internet-famous monkey at a Japanese zoo while the other filmed the stunt, police have said. One of the men, who claimed to be a 24-year-old college student, is accused of scaling a fence to gain access to Punch's enclosure on Sunday morning. The other man, who claimed to be a 27-year-old singer, was filming the stunt. Both have denied the allegations. Police reported that no monkeys were injured during the incident. Clips of the now nine-month-old macaque attracted millions of views online earlier this year after being spotted hugging a stuffed toy orangutan given to him by zoo keepers after his mother rejected him.
Footage believed to be from the incident, filmed by other zoo patrons and shared on social media, shows a person in a costume jumping over the fence into the monkey enclosure. The costume was reportedly to promote a cryptocurrency campaign. The individual was quickly apprehended by a zookeeper.
Now, the two men face charges of forcible obstruction of business. Ichikawa City Zoo stated they filed a damage report with local police and are implementing measures to ensure such an incident does not happen again. Proposed measures include extending the viewing restriction area and installing nets to prevent intrusions.
The zoo is also considering a full ban on filming around Punch's enclosure and is putting requests from YouTubers to film on hold. The men were apprehended before they could cause any distress to the animals, according to zoo and police reports. Punch, who gained fame for his cute antics and bond with his toy, is now integrating well with other macaques, after initially struggling to bond following his mother's abandonment.
Footage believed to be from the incident, filmed by other zoo patrons and shared on social media, shows a person in a costume jumping over the fence into the monkey enclosure. The costume was reportedly to promote a cryptocurrency campaign. The individual was quickly apprehended by a zookeeper.
Now, the two men face charges of forcible obstruction of business. Ichikawa City Zoo stated they filed a damage report with local police and are implementing measures to ensure such an incident does not happen again. Proposed measures include extending the viewing restriction area and installing nets to prevent intrusions.
The zoo is also considering a full ban on filming around Punch's enclosure and is putting requests from YouTubers to film on hold. The men were apprehended before they could cause any distress to the animals, according to zoo and police reports. Punch, who gained fame for his cute antics and bond with his toy, is now integrating well with other macaques, after initially struggling to bond following his mother's abandonment.
