Two Americans were arrested in Japan on Monday after breaking into the enclosure of the beloved Punch the monkey, the 9-month-old internet sensation, police said.
Police in the Tokyo suburb of Chiba detained Reid Jahnai Daysun, 24, and Neal Jabahri Duan, 27, after one of the men allegedly jumped the fence to enter the enclosure while the other filmed.
Videos of the incident show a person, believed to be Daysun, in a blue suit with a smiling emoji head climbing into the enclosure that houses Punch.
The little monkey went viral after over heartbreaking images of him cradling an stuffed orangutan toy after his mother abandoned him at birth.
The man’s strange outfit appeared to be a reference to the emoji typically used to promote “memecoin” cryptocurrencies.
The intruder was also seen carrying a stuffed toy.
It remains unclear what connection the men have to crypto, with Daysun identifying as a college student and Duan as a self-proclaimed singer, according to Chiba police.
Zoo visitors were bewildered at the sight, with the macaques all running in fear and clustering at a rock formation in the enclosure to get away from the intruder.
A zookeeper could be seen walking in shortly and grabbing the man’s arm, taking him out of the enclosure, which houses about 50 monkeys.
Daysun and Duan were charged with obstructing operations at the zoo, which is now installing nets and permanent patrol units to protect the enclosure.
Both men have denied the charges, police said, with the duo expected to be questioned further by prosecutors on Tuesday.
The zoo said all the animals remained safe during the incident, including Punch, who was abandoned by his mother last July after a difficult labor during a brutal heatwave.
The circumstances of his birth left the little macaque with little natural guidance, leading to a childhood of playing by himself and unable to integrate with other monkeys.
The zoo’s efforts to help him socialize, including giving him a stuffed toy, went viral online as fans around the world rooted for Punch to make friends.
