Two US citizens were detained in Japan after a masked man broke into the monkey cage at a zoo in Ichikawa, on the outskirts of Tokyo.
The incident took place at the zoo where Punch lives, the monkey who went viral on social media earlier this year after being filmed holding onto a stuffed toy, images that garnered millions of views online.
According to the Japanese press, one of the men improperly entered the area reserved for animals while wearing a mask, prompting the space’s employees to immediately alert the authorities. The other North American will have monitored the entire situation outside the facility.
The motivations for the incident are still not entirely clear, but the two ended up detained by Japanese authorities for investigation. There are no reports of injuries or damage caused to animals.
The episode generated a strong reaction on social media, with many users criticizing the behavior of tourists and warning about the risks of this type of invasion in zoological spaces.
