Two American nationals have been arrested in Japan after allegedly entering a monkey enclosure at a zoo near Tokyo, where a baby macaque named Punch recently became an international internet sensation.
Police said one of the men, who identified himself as a 24-year-old college student, was arrested on Sunday after climbing over a fence and entering a dry moat surrounding the monkey exhibit at Ichikawa City Zoo.
The second man, a 27-year-old singer, was reportedly filming the stunt.
Images circulating on social media showed a person scaling the enclosure fence while wearing a costume featuring a large smiley-face head and sunglasses, causing the monkeys to scatter.
Authorities said the pair did not come into direct contact with the animals and were quickly apprehended by zoo officials.
According to police, the two men face charges of forcible obstruction of business, although they deny the allegations.
Investigators also said the pair were not carrying formal identification and initially provided false names to officers.
The incident comes amid increased attention on the zoo following the viral popularity of Punch, a baby macaque who captured online audiences earlier this year.
Punch became widely known after the zoo shared photos of the young monkey clinging to an IKEA plush orangutan for comfort after reportedly being rejected by its mother.
Born in July and raised in an artificial environment, Punch later began preparations to rejoin its troop, attracting a devoted online following under the hashtag “#HangInTherePunch”.
Japan has seen record numbers of tourists in recent years, but some residents and authorities have expressed frustration over disruptive behaviour by foreign visitors.