If you haven't heard about Punch the monkey, he's a baby macaque who became an Internet sensation earlier this year. His mother rejected him, and videos of Punch clinging to a stuffed orangutan melted hearts across the globe.
Now, two American tourists in Japan are in legal trouble after they allegedly infiltrated the enclosure where Punch and his fellow macaques live.
Two American nationals were arrested in Japan after one of them entered the monkey enclosure at a zoo where a baby macaque named Punch became a global internet sensation earlier this year. All the monkeys are OK. https://t.co/IEoVy7z6mc pic.twitter.com/kXbeJVjny0
— CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil (@CBSEveningNews) May 18, 2026
Two American nationals were arrested Sunday in Japan after one of them entered the monkey enclosure at a zoo where a baby macaque named Punch became a global internet sensation earlier this year, police said Monday.
In a statement shared with CBS News' Japanese partner network TBS News, the Ichikawa Police Department identified the suspects as 24-year-old Reid Jahnai Dayson, who they said was a university student, and Neal Jabahri Duan, 27, who told the police he was a singer.
Dayson reportedly climbed over a fence and dropped into a dry moat surrounding the monkey exhibit at Ichikawa City Zoo outside Tokyo. Duan allegedly filmed him.
Images on social media showed a person scaling the fence in a costume that included a smiley face head with sunglasses, prompting the monkeys to scatter.
The men did not come close to the animals and were quickly apprehended by zoo officials, an official with the Ichikawa Police told the French news agency AFP.
Officials said no animals were harmed in the incident.
This comes amid a surge of tourists to Japan, and the frustration of locals over the behavior of some visitors. According to CBS News, a Ukrainian YouTuber was arrested after trespassing in a house in the Fukushima nuclear exclusion zone, and an American content creator, Johnny Somali, was arrested in 2023 for trespassing in a construction site.
The two Americans arrested in Japan for harassing Punch the Monkey as part of a crypto promotion stunt need to face real jail time on obstruction of business charges.
— Legal Mindset (@TheLegalMindset) May 18, 2026
Japan went FAR too lenient on Somali and this is the consequence. It doesn’t stop until they crack down. pic.twitter.com/ldBK0OvJ6i
The trespassing charges against Johnny Somali were eventually dropped, but he was also charged with obstructing a business for playing music too loud and 'causing a scene' at a restaurant. For that, he was fined ¥200,000 (about $1,400), deported, and barred from re-entering Japan.
🚨 MONKEY BUSINESS in Japan 😂
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) May 19, 2026
Two American tourists got ARRESTED after one genius climbed straight into the enclosure of Punch, the viral monkey famous for his adorable bond with a plush orangutan. pic.twitter.com/eMvGOquxQJ
According to Fox News, the zoo will also increase security around the monkey enclosure.
Two American tourists were arrested in Japan after one allegedly climbed into a monkey enclosure at a zoo while the other filmed the stunt near the exhibit housing viral baby monkey “Punch,” with both denying charges of obstructing business operations.
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) May 18, 2026
pic.twitter.com/f01tfE6ZPN
They are the trespassers of Monkey Mountain at Ichikawa Zoo.
— Therapeutic Videos (@therapeuticvids) May 19, 2026
Because of these selfish people, thousands of genuine Punch Kun fans are now suffering just to get a proper view of our beloved Punch.
After the zoo added netting and expanded the viewing area, things should have… https://t.co/dYFTX0lBfK pic.twitter.com/zjFaawhtq5
"We just want to watch the monkeys in peace. Stop ruining it for everyone," the post reads.
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