The zoo housing Punch, the viral baby monkey, wants to ban photos – but a ban could have unintended consequences

CHIBA, JAPAN - FEBRUARY 20 : Baby monkey named 'Punch' is seen with a stuffed animal at a zoo on February 20, 2026, in north of Tokyo, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Abandoned by his mother at birth, the monkey found comfort with a stuffed animal. (Photo by David Mareuil/Anadolu via Getty Images).

Two US tourists caused a stir in Japan after one of them jumped into the monkey enclosure at the Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba Prefecture while the other filmed. While it wasn’t long before the Japanese authorities had the offenders in custody, the duo succeeded in uploading the footage to social media.

Now visitors could be seeing even more impact from the stunt, beyond updates to the enclosure. According to The Independent, Ichikawa City Zoo responded quickly by widening the buffer zone around the enclosure – but it is also considering a full ban on photography.