Japanese authorities arrested two American men after they trespassed into the monkey exhibit area at Ishikawa City Zoo near Tokyo, which is home to Punch, the famous baby monkey who became a worldwide viral sensation.
Police revealed that one suspect, claiming to be a 24-year-old university student, was caught on Sunday after climbing a fence and jumping into the moat surrounding the monkey enclosure, while the other man, who said he was a 27-year-old singer, recorded the incident on video.
Footage shared on social media showed a man dressed in a costume with a yellow smiling face mask and sunglasses climbing the fence into the exhibit area, causing the monkey group to panic and scatter chaotically.
However, officials stated that neither of the two got close to the animals and were quickly apprehended by zoo staff.
The police said the two men are being charged with "obstructing operations by force," but both deny the allegations. Additionally, it was found that they had no identification documents and initially provided false names during the early stage of questioning.
This incident occurred after the zoo attracted large numbers of Japanese and international visitors due to the popularity of "Punch," the baby monkey who was abandoned by its mother and became an internet darling.
Previously, the zoo posted a photo of Punch hugging an IKEA orangutan doll to comfort himself after being rejected by his biological mother, and this image went viral across online platforms worldwide.
The baby monkey was born in July and raised in a simulated environment before beginning reintegration with the monkey troop earlier this year, sparking the hashtag #HangInTherePunch followed by many fans.
In recent years, Japan has faced increasing issues with inappropriate behavior from foreign tourists and content creators, amid record-high numbers of international visitors.
Last year, a Ukrainian YouTuber with over 6.5 million followers was arrested after live-streaming a break-in at an evacuation zone near the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
Meanwhile, Johnny Somali, a well-known American streamer, was also arrested in Japan in 2023 for trespassing on a construction site.
. Source:channelnewsasia
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