Due to the incident, the Ichikawa City Zoo said it’s going to strengthen its security measures
NEED TO KNOW
- Two Americans were arrested after one of them allegedly entered the enclosure of Punch the monkey, the young macaque who went viral after being abandoned
- The man who jumped the fence at the Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan was wearing an emoji costume
- Onlookers videotaped the costumed person trying to approach the monkeys, who all scattered without making contact
Two American nationals were arrested on May 17 in Japan after one of them allegedly entered the enclosure of Punch the Monkey, a nine-month-old macaque who went viral and became a worldwide sensation after befriending a stuffed animal following his abandonment.
The Ichikawa Police Department has identified two American suspects in the incident, which was filmed by other zoogoers. Authorities told TBS News, a Japanese partner network of CBS, that Jahnai Dayson, a 24-year-old university student, and Neal Jabahri Duan, 27, who identifies as a singer, were involved in the incident at Ichikawa City Zoo.
The authorities claim Dayson was the one who climbed over a fence and entered Punch’s enclosure at Ichikawa City Zoo while Duan filmed him. In footage of the trespassing incident, a person wearing an emoji costume climbs over the barrier surrounding the habitat for Punch and the zoo’s other macaque monkeys. The costumed person then drops a small stuffed toy near a mound covered in monkeys. The animals all back away when the costumed person approaches.
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Dayson and Duan did not get close to the animals and were quickly apprehended by zoo workers, an Ichikawa Police official said, according to news agency AFP.
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Authorities say the men have been arrested on suspicion of forcible obstruction of business. The zoo also talked about the incident on X and confirmed that the intruders have been “handed over to the police.”
“No abnormalities have been observed in the animals,” the facility said in another post, adding that Ichikawa City Zoo has “filed a damage report with the Ichikawa Police Station.”
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The zoo also shared that it plans to strengthen its security measures by expanding its viewing-restriction area and installing intrusion-prevention nets.
Earlier this year, Punch the Monkey became a viral internet sensation when he was spotted hugging a stuffed toy orangutan that a zookeeper had gifted him. After being rejected by his mother, he formed a close bond with the toy and would take it everywhere.
Though fans worried about Punch, zoo officials have said that the little guy spends most of his days “peacefully” and is also being looked after by an “increasing” number of monkeys.
SOURCE BY PEOPLE
