Visitors hoping to see Punch the monkey will face strict new rules after an incident involving two American citizens at a Japanese zoo. The Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba prefecture is considering a complete ban on photography near the monkey enclosure following the unauthorised entry on 17 May.
Incident Details
Reid Jahnai Dayson, 24, and Neal Jabahri Duan, 27, allegedly conspired to trespass into the enclosure around 10.50am. Dayson climbed over a fence and jumped into the enclosure dressed in a character costume, while Duan filmed the stunt on a smartphone and later shared the footage on social media. Police have referred the pair to prosecutors on suspicion of forcible obstruction of business.
Neither individual got close to the animals before being detained by staff. Nearly 60 monkeys, including Punch, were inside the enclosure at the time.
Zoo Response
In response, the zoo widened the buffer zone around the enclosure and installed anti-intrusion netting. Starting 19 May, the zoo expanded the viewing restriction area, installed nets, and began constant patrols. The zoo stated, "We apologise for any further inconvenience and ask for your understanding."
Takashi Yasunaga, head of the Ichikawa government's zoological and botanical garden division, said the intrusion put both animals and zoo staff at risk. "We want to take various measures to ensure something like this never happens again," he told AFP.
Photography Ban Consideration
The zoo announced they are considering a full ban on filming at Saruyama, the monkey mountain area. They noted, "Regarding the methods for a full ban and the impacts that it would have, we will proceed with further deliberations." Additionally, they will hold inquiries and proposals from YouTubers in abeyance for the time being.
Punch's Popularity
Punch went viral earlier this year after the baby macaque was filmed cuddling an orangutan plush toy provided by zookeepers after being rejected by other monkeys. The clips drew huge crowds, forcing officials to introduce rules asking visitors to stay quiet and limit viewing time to 10 minutes to avoid stressing the monkeys. Punch's popularity sparked a surge in visitors to the zoo, located outside Tokyo.
