Two American men were arrested in Japan on Sunday after one allegedly climbed into the enclosure of Punch, the baby monkey that became a viral internet sensation earlier this year at Ichikawa City Zoo near Tokyo.
According to CBS News, Japanese police said the pair were detained after the incident at the zoo. Police identified the two Americans as 24-year-old Reid Jahnai Dayson and 27-year-old Neal Jabahri Duan. According to authorities, Dayson climbed over a fence and entered a dry moat surrounding the monkey enclosure while Duan allegedly recorded the stunt on video.
Social media videos appearing to show the incident captured a person wearing a large smiley-face mask and sunglasses while climbing over the fence surrounding the monkey enclosure. As the individual entered the restricted area, several of the monkeys reportedly scattered and moved away in apparent alarm.
Zoo staff reacted quickly and detained the two men before they could get close to Punch or any of the other animals, according to police. Authorities said neither man physically touched the monkeys during the incident, and no injuries or abnormalities were reported among the animals afterwards.
Punch became an internet sensation earlier this year after Ichikawa City Zoo shared photos of the young macaque cuddling a stuffed orangutan toy for comfort after reportedly being rejected by his mother. The emotional images spread rapidly across social media under the hashtag #HangInTherePunch, turning the baby monkey into an unexpected global attraction and bringing a major increase in visitors to the zoo near Tokyo.
Americans to Face Charges
The two Americans now face accusations of forcible obstruction of business, although police said they deny the allegations. Authorities also claimed the pair initially gave false names after they were stopped and did not have formal identification documents with them.
Ichikawa Zoo responded swiftly following the incident. In a statement posted on X, the zoo announced that public access to Punch's enclosure would be restricted starting Tuesday while additional security measures are introduced.
【侵入事件について①】
— 市川市動植物園（公式） (@ichikawa_zoo) May 18, 2026
昨日のサル山内への侵入事件について、
ご心配をおかけし申し訳ありません。
動物たちに異状は見られません。
昨夜市川警察署に被害届を提出しました。
明日からも動物たちの安全と健康を
第一に考えて対策を進めつつ、
ルール違反には厳しく対処いたします。…
The zoo said intrusion prevention nets would be installed around the exhibit and permanent patrols would begin in the area. Managers are also reportedly considering restrictions on video recording near the enclosure after the episode generated widespread online attention.
Officials stressed that no animals were harmed during the incident. 'No abnormalities have been observed among the animals,' the zoo said in its statement.
Punch the Monkey Still Draws Attention
Punch was born in July and was raised separately from the other monkeys after the zoo said his mother rejected him shortly after birth. Staff cared for him in a controlled environment and later began slowly helping him adjust so he could eventually return to the rest of his troop. Earlier this year, that process attracted huge attention online after the zoo shared photos of Punch hugging a stuffed orangutan toy for comfort.
The pictures quickly spread across social media and turned the young monkey into an unexpected internet star. Many people online followed his progress closely, with some visitors reportedly travelling from overseas just to see him at the zoo near Tokyo. The attention added to Japan's already growing tourism numbers.
At the same time, Japanese officials and some local residents have become increasingly concerned about disruptive behaviour involving a small number of foreign tourists and online content creators. Several recent incidents involving trespassing or dangerous stunts filmed for social media have received widespread attention across the country.
Although no animals were harmed, the zoo has already announced tighter security measures around the enclosure as officials try to prevent similar incidents from happening again. Despite the disruption, visitors are still expected to return to the zoo in large numbers in the coming weeks.
