The end of the world started with the fall of Harambe. From there, we have been plagued with wildfires, pandemics, and insane politicians. And just when you thought humanity had hit its ceiling for unhinged behavior, two Americans said, “Hold my Bud Light!”
Punch the Monkey was sent to restore our faith in all that is pure, but recent events at the Ichikawa City Zoo have set us back decades. The zoo’s most famous resident made headlines again this week, but this time because it had some very unwelcome visitors. Japan, and the world, are not impressed.
Two Americans have been arrested in connection with an incident at the Ichikawa City Zoo
Image credits: ＮＨＫラジオニュース / x.com
One of the men reportedly climbed over the fence at the macaque enclosure, dressed in an emoji costume
On May 17, at the Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan, two American men showed up with a plan. And a costume. The duo consisted of Jahnai Dayson, a 24-year-old university student, and Neal Jabahri Duan, a 27-year-old who identifies as a singer. They paid a visit to Punch, the viral macaque, in an effort to create a viral moment.
Dayson, dressed head to toe in an emoji outfit, approached the barrier surrounding the macaque enclosure, climbed over the fence, and dropped into the habitat while Duan stood on the other side filming the whole thing. Once inside the enclosure, Dayson dropped a small stuffed toy near a mound where several of the macaques were gathered.
Image credits: Animal Love / x.com
This is the enclosure where Punch lives, the viral macaque baby that went viral earlier this year after being abandoned by his mother
Image credits: ＮＨＫラジオニュース / x.com
Zoo keepers quickly intervened and were able to remove the man before he came in contact with the monkeys
The monkeys were uninterested and scattered. Zoo workers moved in quickly and apprehended both Dayson and Duan before the situation could escalate any further. Neither man got close to the animals. The Ichikawa Police Department subsequently arrested both on suspicion of forcible obstruction of business.
These are the charges used in Japan when someone deliberately interferes with the lawful operations of a business or institution. The zoo confirmed the incident on X, stating that the intruders had been handed over to police, that safety checks had been carried out on all animals and facilities, and that no abnormalities had been observed. A damage report was filed with the Ichikawa Police Station shortly after.
Image credits: 市川市動植物園（公式） / x.com
Image credits: Jeffrey J. Hall / x.com
The zoo has released an official statement, saying that the monkeys were unharmed and a police report has been filed against the men
Earlier this year, the 9-month-old macaque became an unlikely worldwide sensation after being rejected by his mother shortly after birth, a deeply heartbreaking start to life that the internet simply could not handle. A zookeeper, taking pity on the little guy, gifted him a small stuffed toy orangutan. Punch adopted it immediately. He carried it everywhere, hugged it constantly, and refused to put it down.
The images went viral almost instantly, turning a tiny abandoned monkey in a Japanese zoo into one of the most beloved animals on the internet. Zoo officials reassured everyone that Punch now spends most of his days peacefully and is increasingly being looked after by the other monkeys in his enclosure. He was doing just fine. He was, by all accounts, thriving. And then the Americans showed up.
Image credits: Fan Page | Punch / x.com
Experts warn about the many repercussions we should be aware of when an animal like Punch goes viral in a zoo setting
This latest incident may have aimed for a quick laugh, but it sits inside a much more complicated story about what actually happens when an animal goes viral. Earth.org warns about the dangers of such a viral moment, saying that since his story broke, attendance around the macaque enclosure at Ichikawa City Zoo has reportedly doubled.
But higher visitor numbers reinforce the economic incentives that keep animals in captivity in the first place, and for Japanese macaques, zoo environments are a far cry from the complex forest habitats they would naturally inhabit. Wild macaques live in layered social groups with trees, streams, and space. Zoo enclosures, by contrast, are often crowded and relatively bare.
And then there is the exotic pet trade problem, which took a very specific shape when the Tate brothers reportedly offered $250,000 to take Punch from the zoo, framing it as a rescue. It was not a rescue. Taking a macaque from a zoo to place him in private ownership would almost certainly make his life worse, not better, and animal welfare organizations were quick to say so.
Image credits: 市川市動植物園（公式） / x.com
Cast your mind back to 2024 and Moo Deng — the baby pygmy hippo from Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand, whose name roughly translates to "bouncy pig" and who became one of the most beloved animals online almost overnight. Videos of her went viral, memes were everywhere, merchandise was created, and thousands of people descended on the zoo every weekend just to catch a glimpse of her.
And then, inevitably, someone climbed into her enclosure with a tablet to film her up close. A Thai court fined him 10,000 baht, which is approximately $300. The zoo director, responding to the incident with considerably more grace than the situation deserved, noted that his staff was trained on what to do if animals escaped, but were now going to need additional training on what to do if humans broke in.
A sentence that should never have needed to be said. Moo Deng was unharmed but, the zoo noted, "slightly startled," which, honestly, feels like an understatement. We are apparently at a point in internet culture where going viral is a genuine safety risk, and not just for the people involved. So this year's Darwin award has a clear frontrunner so far...
What kind of punishment do you think would suit this crime? Share your "Justice For Punch" ideas in the comments!
Watch the incident here
The comments were flooded with people offering some punishment suggestions and spewing the "tourists go home" sentiment
