Two US nationals have been arrested after jumping into the enclosure of the celebrity monkey Punch. One of the arrested individuals scaled the fence into the enclosure, while another filmed the stunt. One is a 24-year-old college student, while another is a self-described 27-year-old singer.
The incident took place in Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan. Police say no animals were harmed during the incident. Social media clips of the break in have been doing the rounds online following the event, showing the individual who entered the enclosure wearing a costume designed to promote a cryptocurrency. The individual claimed he only wished to give Punch a new stuffed animal.
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Punch, a macaque now nine-months-old, has turned into a viral sensation, after clips of him cuddling a stuffed orangutan went viral earlier in the year. Punch was given the toy by zookeepers after he was rejected by his mother. The story quickly caught the attention of millions online as the plight of poor Punch pulled at their heartstrings.
Ichikawa City Zoo has filed a damage report with the police, and is considering further countermeasures to prevent similar incidents happening in the future, as per the BBC. So, if you travel to the zoo and now can't see Punch and pals from as close up anymore, blame two crypto bros.