Two American citizens were detained in Japan following a stunt where one of them entered the monkey enclosure at a zoo, where a baby macaque named Punch gained international fame this year, according to police reports on Monday, as per AFP.
One of the men, a 24-year-old college student, was apprehended on Sunday after he climbed over a fence and descended into a dry moat that surrounds the monkey exhibit at Ichikawa City Zoo, located outside of Tokyo.
The second person, who was recording the incident, identified himself as a 27-year-old singer.
Social media images depicted a person scaling the fence while wearing a costume that featured a smiley face head with sunglasses, which caused the monkeys to flee.
The two men did not approach the animals closely and were swiftly captured by zoo personnel, as stated by an official from Ichikawa Police who spoke to AFP under the condition of anonymity.
What charges are two American facing?
The two persons are facing charges of forcible obstruction of business, which they deny, AFP reported, citing a police official.
The pair lacked formal identification and initially attempted to deceive the police regarding their identities, he stated.
All on baby Punch and popular Japan zoo
The arrests come in the wake of a significant increase in both domestic and international visitors to the zoo, spurred by Punch’s viral popularity.
This year, the baby monkey gained internet stardom after the zoo shared images of Punch holding an IKEA plush orangutan for solace following his rejection by his mother.
Born in July, Punch was nurtured in an artificial setting and commenced training to reintegrate with his troop earlier this year.
Punch’s situation generated significant online interest, leading to the formation of a dedicated fanbase under the hashtag #HangInTherePunch.
An extraordinary influx of tourists is arriving in Japan; however, certain residents have grown weary of disruptive conduct.
In the previous year, a Ukrainian YouTuber boasting over 6.5 million subscribers was apprehended after broadcasting himself illegally entering a property within the Fukushima nuclear exclusion zone.
Additionally, a US livestreamer identified as Johnny Somali was detained in 2023 for purportedly trespassing on a construction site.
