Japanese authorities have taken two Americans into custody after a disturbing stunt at Ichikawa Zoo.
The two men scared a young monkey, known globally as “Punch”, which amassed a million views due to its viral story.
As confirmed by Japanese police, the individuals are 24-year-old and 27-year-old and identified themselves as a university student and a singer respectively.
The student climbed the barrier and entered the monkey’s enclosure while the singer filmed the action.
The video clip from social media showed the intruder dressed in a costume with a big smiley face and sunglasses, causing chaos among the monkeys who had spread throughout the enclosure.
According to zoo officials, the man had no direct contact with the animals and was immediately escorted out by zoo staff. Neither the animals nor the people were injured.
Both men were arrested by police on suspicion of “forcible obstruction of business”, a crime they deny committing. Police added that the suspects initially tried to provide false identities.
Punch, now nine months old, became an internet sensation after he clung to a stuffed orangutan toy after his mother abandoned him.
Zoo authorities gave him the toy to comfort him.
His case attracted widespread sympathy and attracted many visitors to the zoo, including people from other countries.
As a result of this case, the zoo management decided to introduce stricter security measures. These will involve expanding restricted viewing areas, installing protective netting and perhaps even banning filming around the area.
