Two American nationals were detained in Japan after an incident at a zoo. Police reported that one of them entered a monkey enclosure where a baby macaque named Punch had gained worldwide fame. The incident occurred on a Sunday, with the arrest announced on Monday.
The Ichikawa Police Department identified the individuals as Reid Jahnai Dayson, 24, a university student, and Neal Jabahri Duan, 27, who described himself as a singer. According to a police statement to CBS News’ Japanese partner, TBS News, Dayson climbed over a fence and entered a dry moat surrounding the monkey exhibit at Ichikawa City Zoo, located outside Tokyo. Duan reportedly filmed this act.
Social media images showed someone climbing the fence while wearing a costume with a smiley face head and sunglasses. This caused the monkeys to scatter. Although the men did not approach the animals, they were quickly detained by zoo officials, according to the Ichikawa Police, as reported by AFP.
The two men are charged with forcible obstruction of business, which they deny. Initially, they attempted to deceive the police about their identities and lacked formal identification at the time of their arrest.
Following the incident, Ichikawa Zoo announced on its X account that access to the enclosure would be restricted starting Tuesday. “Intrusion prevention nets” would be installed, and permanent patrols would commence. Zoo management is also considering banning video recording at the site.
Despite the incident, the zoo confirmed that “no abnormalities have been observed among the animals.” The arrests followed an influx of visitors driven by Punch’s viral fame. The baby monkey became an internet sensation earlier in the year, as photos of him holding an IKEA plush orangutan for comfort went viral. He was raised in an artificial environment after being rejected by his mother but started training to rejoin his troop this year. His story gained a massive fanbase with the hashtag #HangInTherePunch.
Japan has experienced a surge in international tourists, although some locals have grown tired of poor behavior from foreigners. In recent years, several individuals have been arrested for trespassing in high-profile instances, including a Ukrainian YouTuber and an American content creator known as Johnny Somali, highlighting ongoing tensions related to tourist conduct.
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