JAKARTA - Due to the actions of two US citizens, visitors who want to see Punch, a macaque monkey that went viral in Japan, now have to face stricter rules.
According to a report by The Independent, quoted on Friday, May 22, the incident occurred on May 17 at the Ichikawa City Zoo, Chiba Prefecture. Two US citizens allegedly entered the monkey enclosure without permission. At that time, almost 60 monkeys were in the cage, including Punch.
Punch previously went viral for hugging an orangutan doll after it was abandoned by its mother. His video made many people come to the zoo outside Tokyo.
Police on Tuesday handed over the case of the two US citizens to prosecutors. They are suspected of forcibly obstructing business activities.
The two people were Reid Jahnai Dayson, 24, who claimed to be a student, and Neal Jabahri Duan, 27, who called himself a singer.
According to investigators, the two conspired to enter the cage around 10.50 am. Dayson is said to have climbed the fence and jumped into the cage in a character costume. Duan recorded the action from outside using a mobile phone, then shared it on social media.
The action stopped before the two could approach the animal. The zoo staff immediately detained them.
The zoo then widened the containment zone around the cage. The manager also installed an anti-intrusion net and started a continuous patrol since May 19.
The management even considered a full ban on filming in Saruyama, the monkey enclosure area.
"Regarding the method of implementing the full ban and the possible impact it may have, we will continue further discussions," the zoo said.
They also stated that they received many questions and suggestions for filming from YouTubers and other parties. However, all of them were postponed temporarily after the incident.
"We apologize for any further inconvenience and ask for your understanding," the zoo said.
The head of the Ichikawa Government Zoo and Botanical Garden Division, Takashi Yasunaga, said the infiltration endangered the animals and staff.
"We want to take a variety of steps to ensure that this kind of thing never happens again," he said as quoted by AFP.
Before this incident, the management had implemented rules for Punch visitors. They were asked to remain calm and only watch for 10 minutes. The goal is so that Punch and other monkeys are not stressed.
After the May 17 incident, the zoo added barriers, installed nets, and increased patrols around the enclosure.
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