American men detained after bizarre stunt at Punch the monkey's enclosure in Japan
A bizarre sight at a Japanese zoo has led to two Americans being detained.
It happened at the enclosure of Punch, the macaque who has become an internet sensation, in the Tokyo suburb of Ichikawa.
Video shows the moment a person climbs into the enclosure wearing a strange costume complete with a large smiling-emoji headpiece.
The macaques in the enclosure can be seen running away from the man as he enters their exhibit and walks around.
The New York Times reports two American men were detained by Japanese police after the incident. They were identified as 24-year-old student Reid Jahnai Daysun and 27-year-old singer Neal Jabarhri Duan. Police told the outlet Daysun climbed a fence that separates visitors from the zoo enclosure while Duan filmed it. Both men deny the accusations against them.
In a statement, the zoo said “no abnormalities have been observed in the animals.”
Earlier this year, Punch captured the hearts of the internet after being abandoned by his mother and found a friend in a stuffed animal.
Punch became so popular the zoo had to set rules to make visitors be quiet and to limit viewing to 10 minutes to reduce stress for the more than 50 other monkeys in the enclosure.