American tourists arrested in Japan for jumping into Punch the monkey’s enclosure
A pair of American tourists were arrested in Japan on Sunday (17 May) after one of them jumped into Punch the monkey’s enclosure. Clips of the stunt circulated online, drawing outrage from netizens.
According to the Japan Times, the two men, both in their twenties, have refuted charges levied against them.
Hopped the fence for a stunt
The clips show a man wearing a suit and a smiley face with sunglasses. The costumed man climbed over the fence at the Ichikawa City Zoo and found himself inside the monkey enclosure, where zoo visitors were trying to have a glimpse of Punch, the baby macaque.
Source: @therapeuticvids on X
Spooked by the sudden intrusion, the monkeys can be seen dispersing from the costumed man.
A clip shows one of the zoo staff entering the enclosure to retrieve a doll tossed by the costumed man before forcibly escorting him out.
Source: @ticagg on X
As a result of the stunt, two American nationals were arrested.
Americans tried to lie about their identity
The zoo said they would be adding measures to prevent such incidents from recurring. They are also considering a full ban on filming entirely and a suspension of filming requests from YouTubers.
Local police added that the men were not able to get anywhere near the monkeys during their trespassing.
Source: @ticagg on X
The two men identified themselves as a 24-year-old college student and a 27-year-old singer. They did not have their identification documents with them during the arrest, and had reportedly lied to the police about who they were.
Police have charged them with forcible obstruction of business, which the two men refute.
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Featured image adapted from @ticagg on X and @therapeuticvids on X.Â
