Two arrested after allegations of what they were doing in the enclosure of the viral monkey Punch: report
Punch the monkey makes new friends after a bullying video goes viral
The video shows Punch, a young macaque in Japan who has gone viral, seeking physical contact not from his stuffed toy, but from another monkey, eventually riding on its back in an important social behavior for young macaques known as the “piggyback ride.” Punch gained fame after being born last year and being abandoned by his mother.
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Two Americans were reportedly arrested in Japan on Sunday after one entered the enclosure of Punch, a young macaque at the Ichikawa City Zoo who became famous online for his love affair with a toy orangutan.
Videos circulating online appear to show a person in an emoji costume climbing over a barrier in a Japanese macaque enclosure before dropping a small stuffed toy near the animals, startling them and causing them to retreat, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The suspects were identified as a 24-year-old college student and a 27-year-old self-proclaimed musician, AFP reported.
SHOOT MONKEY, HAPPY STAR, SEE A GOOD REST BETWEEN ZOO MATES
This photo taken on Feb. 19, 2026 we show Punch sitting with his stuffed orangutan toy at the Ichikawa City Zoo. (JIJI PRESS / AFP via Getty Images)
Zoo staff quickly intervened, and authorities said no suspect had come into contact with the monkeys, according to AFP.
Police in Ichikawa told AFP that the two men were arrested on suspicion of forcibly disrupting a business.
One suspect was cooperating with the police, while the other denied the allegations, according to reports citing NHK.
In a statement sent to X on May 17, the Ichikawa City Zoo confirmed that the two have been handed over to the police and said that a security check was carried out afterwards.
AN ORPHAN CHILD KAKWANE FOUND TO BE COMFORTED BY A SCARED ANIMAL AFTER BEING Abandoned by his mother.
Punch appears with his stuffed animal on Feb. 20, 2026. (Photo by David Mareuil/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Officials added that no animals were injured during the incident.
“Around 10:50 today, there was a thief in Saruyama,” the zoo wrote. “We inform you that the two, including the criminal in question, have been handed over to the police.”
The zoo also announced the temporary closure of the viewing area and enhanced security measures while operations continue as planned.
ANCIENTS ARE OLD IN ST LOUIS AS OFFICIALS STRIP AN ANIMAL BREAK.
Punch became famous earlier this year after zoo staff gave him a stuffed orangutan toy to relax. (@20230605x_x via Storyful)
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The monkey was abandoned by its mother when it was born in July 2025, which caused the zookeepers to raise it by hand.
Khloe Quill of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
