Two US nationals have been arrested after one jumped into the enclosure of an internet-famous monkey at a Japanese zoo while the other filmed the stunt, police have said.
One of the men, who claimed to be a 24-year-old college student, is accused of scaling a fence to gain access to Punch's enclosure on Sunday morning. The other man claimed to be a 27-year-old singer.
Both have denied the allegations. Police have said no monkeys were injured during the incident.
Clips of the now nine-month-old macaque attracted millions of views online earlier this year after it was spotted hugging an stuffed toy orangutan given to him by keepers at Ichikawa City Zoo after he was rejected by his mother.
Footage purportedly of Sunday's incident filmed by other zoo visitors shows a person in a costume promoting a cryptocurrency jumping over a fence and into the monkey enclosure. The person then was led out by a zookeeper.
The two men were arrested on suspicion of forcible obstruction of business, according to local media.
Ichikawa City Zoo stated it had filed a damage report with police and was implementing measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
These measures include expanding the viewing restriction area and installing intrusion prevention nets. The zoo also considered a full ban on filming around Punch's enclosure and has temporarily halted requests from YouTubers to film.
Since January, Punch has been regularly featured in social media updates showcasing his interaction with keepers and his attachment to the stuffed toy.
The zoo previously indicated that Punch initially struggled to bond with other monkeys, only having the toy and zookeepers for company after his abandonment. Recent updates suggest that he is now integrating well with other macaques, sharing moments such as grooming and cuddling.
This incident highlights a troubling trend of people trespassing into animal enclosures after viral fame, as seen in previous incidents involving other internet-famous animals.
