Two U.S. citizens were taken into custody in Japan after an incident at a zoo near Tokyo that recently drew international attention because of a young macaque named Punch, who went viral after videos showed him holding a stuffed toy following rejection by his mother, Euronews reported.
Police said one of the men climbed over a barrier and entered a restricted area surrounding the monkey habitat on Sunday, while the second recorded the incident on video. The pair identified themselves as a 24-year-old student and a 27-year-old singer.
Videos shared online appeared to show a person in a costume featuring a large smiling head and sunglasses entering the enclosure, prompting the animals to move away.
Authorities said zoo staff quickly intervened and that the men never reached the monkeys. Both were arrested on suspicion of interfering with business operations, though they deny the accusation.
A similar incident occurred earlier this year in Thailand, when an individual was arrested after entering the enclosure of well-known pygmy hippo Moo Deng.
