Japan Arrests 2 U.S. Nationals After Ichikawa Zoo Breach, Tightening Security Around Viral Monkey Punch
Updated
Updated · Good Morning America · May 19
Japan Arrests 2 U.S. Nationals After Ichikawa Zoo Breach, Tightening Security Around Viral Monkey Punch
22 articles · Updated · Good Morning America · May 19
Ichikawa City Zoo said Punch and the other macaques were unharmed after two U.S. nationals were arrested over a Sunday morning breach of the monkey enclosure.
Video posted online showed a costumed intruder dropping into the enclosure, sending the monkeys scrambling up a rock structure before a zoo employee pulled the person aside.
NHK said the men are in their 20s; one was not cooperating with police and the other denied the allegations.
The zoo said it is adding security patrols, installing intrusion-prevention nets and widening restricted viewing areas, while warning it will take strict action over rule violations.
Punch, a baby Japanese macaque who turns 1 in July, drew wide online attention earlier this year through videos showing him clinging to an orangutan plush after being abandoned by his mother.
How did a baby monkey's internet fame spark an international incident, exposing the dark side of viral trends?
When a zoo stunt goes wrong, is it just a prank or a symptom of a global tourism problem?