Visitors at Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Garden got an unwelcome bit of live entertainment on Sunday morning when a man in a full-body costume climbed over a fence and slipped into the "Monkey Mountain" exhibit, briefly startling the troop before zookeepers yanked him back out. Two people were detained, and police later said the monkeys were checked and found to be unharmed.
The zoo posted on its official X account that around 10:50 a.m. an intruder entered Saruyama, its monkey mountain area, and that staff carried out safety checks, temporarily closed part of the viewing zone and turned two people over to police, according to ORICON NEWS.
Ichikawa police later identified the pair as American nationals, a 24‑year‑old university student and a 27‑year‑old who told officers he was a singer, and said both were arrested on suspicion of forcible obstruction of business, according to AFP reporting via ABC News.
Video circulating online shows a person in a mascot-style costume scaling the protective fence, tossing or dropping a small stuffed toy near the macaques and sending the animals scrambling back to a rock mound until staff step in and pull the intruder away. FOX5 Las Vegas notes the clip has been widely shared on X.
The stunt set off instant security upgrades. The zoo has expanded buffer zones around the exhibit, put up anti-intrusion netting and is considering a full ban on photography and filming at the monkey enclosure as visitor numbers surged after Punch went viral. The Straits Times and local reporting say the moves are aimed at keeping both animals and staff safe.
Legal Fallout
Police say the two men were handed over to prosecutors after their arrest and that the zoo formally filed a report, while both suspects have denied the allegations, according to local outlets. Nikkan Sports reports investigators are treating the case as obstruction of business and are looking into whether the whole act was staged for video.
Why Punch Matters
Punch, an orphaned macaque, shot to online fame earlier this year after photos of him clinging to a stuffed orangutan went viral, a burst of attention that doubled visitor numbers and led the zoo to ask guests to limit filming and keep viewing time short, according to reporting by the AP and local outlets. The Associated Press notes that staff had already been warning visitors about commercial shoots and crowding around the enclosure.
For now, zoo officials say they will prioritize animal welfare and update the public as they review security and daily operations, while police continue their investigation. Sponichi reports the city-run facility is also weighing broader restrictions to prevent any sequels to the costumed incursion.
