Two American men were arrested in Japan on Monday, police said. One allegedly entered a monkey enclosure at a zoo housing a viral baby macaque named Punch. The Ichikawa Police Department identified the suspects as Reid Jahnai Dayson, 24, and Neal Jabahri Duan, 27. Both individuals were arrested on suspicion of forcible obstruction of business, which they deny. Additionally, they had no ID and tried to give false names to hide their real identities.

Authorities said Dayson climbed over a fence and dropped into a dry moat, which surrounds the monkey enclosure at Ichikawa City Zoo outside Tokyo. Later, Duan recorded a video of the stunt. Social media images reportedly showed the individual who climbed the fence, believed to be Dayson, wearing a costume with a smiley-face head and sunglasses. The unusual outfit startled the monkeys, causing them to scatter.

According to CBS News, despite several attempts, the two men could not contact the animals and were quickly stopped by zoo staff. After the incident, Ichikawa Zoo announced on its X account that public access to Punch would be limited from Tuesday. Authorities said they would install intrusion prevention nets and are considering banning video recording near Punch’s area.

The incident comes amid a wave of attention surrounding Punch. He became a viral sensation earlier this year after the zoo shared pictures of him clinging to an IKEA plush orangutan for comfort. He had been abandoned by his mother.

According to reports, a stuffed orangutan has become Punch’s closest companion. The toy is almost twice his size and stays by his side at all times. Zookeepers said his mother might have left him due to stress from an intense heatwave. Zoo staff tried several options, including rolled towels of different sizes. They hoped he would grasp them, but nothing worked.

Baby Punch kept searching for someone to replace his mother. Seven months after arriving at the zoo, staff found something that helped him cope with his trauma. He became attached to a plush orangutan. The toy helped him bond with the troop and adapt to a normal life in the zoo.

As videos of Punch spread online, fans were impressed by his story. Cute snaps of Punch tossing and turning his orange toy received thousands of views, showcasing the true nature of animal bonding. The stuffed animal was spotted on IKEA shelves as adverts about it became a hit. IKEA responded positively. The company donated additional plush toys to the zoo to support Punch and acknowledged the “extra love.”

Punch’s popularity has already led to one controversial example. Influencer brothers Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate reportedly offered $250,000 to remove Punch from the zoo. The authorities denied the offer. Meanwhile, online users posted and gushed over Punch and the story about his orange stuffed orangutan.

“He’s so adorable,” one user wrote. “Baby Punch might be the cutest thing on the internet today,” another user added. Another user mentioned the Andrew Tate controversy and said, “I thought the Tates were buying it,” referring to Punch’s cute clips.

“Those eyes are unreal,” another said. A last one raised safety concerns about Punch’s internet fame, saying, “I don’t know what’s going on, but people are overdoing this now.”

According to reports, attendance near Punch’s area has doubled since the baby macaque became an online hero. Organizations like Born Free USA believe that public interest in similar stories like Punch’s will encourage more donations, community campaigns that support zoos, sanctuaries, and create a more natural and spacious living environment for rescued monkeys.