A man climbed over the fence at the Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba Prefecture, just outside Tokyo, and wore a costume with a large smiling yellow face wearing sunglasses, according to video circulating on social media. It does not appear that the man was able to get close to any of the monkeys in the enclosure, including Punch.
Punch the Monkey went viral earlier this year after a baby Japanese macaque was abandoned by its mother and given to the stuffed orangutan that was supposed to be its only friend in the world. The story was heartbreaking and the stuffed Ikea toy, which zookeepers called Ora-Mama, became a highly sought-after collectible item fetching high prices on eBay.
Japanese police have reportedly arrested an American Crypto Brother who illegally entered Punch Monkey’s zoo enclosure.
The man’s friend, who was making the video, was also arrested. He told the police: “I did not enter the fenced area, so this arrest is not justified.”pic.twitter.com/I7BIeYQbEI https://t.co/Lp24zHoZCi-Jeffrey J. Hall 🇯🇵🇺🇸 (@mrjeffu) 18 May 2026
According to the Japan Times, both men initially tried to lie about their identities, but the New York Times, citing police in Ichikawa, said they were 24-year-old Reid Jahnai DeSun and 27-year-old Neil Jabhari Duan. Desson was reportedly the one who climbed over the fence during the filming of Duane. The cryptocurrency these people were trying to promote appears to be a coin called Memecoin.
Of course, memecoins are inherently worthless, and only increase in value when people promote them to find gullible bag-holders. Memecoin crypto appears to have surged by nearly 3% the day after news of the two men being detained spread around the world.
The MemecoinRemind everyone to respect local laws and never put yourself, others or any animals at risk” But then it started Retweeting various news stories about stupid stunts. The account reads,We’ve reviewed the footage from multiple angles, and we’re pleased to confirm that no monkeys were touched or harmed during the stunt. “From what we can tell, its only purpose was to give Punch a new teddy bear to keep him company.”
The zoo posted to X that it would be making changes to better protect the animals, including expanding the area where visitors cannot access and more patrolling by security. The Japan Times reports that both men have been charged with “forcible obstruction of business,” though it is unclear whether they will actually face charges.
Authorities in countries like Japan and South Korea are getting a little tired of livestreaming and visuals of tourists. People have been caught doing everything from vandalizing religious sites to entering the Fukushima nuclear exclusion zone. An influencer named Johnny Salami (real name Ramsey Khalid Ismail) desecrated a South Korean monument and was beaten by locals before being arrested and sentenced to six months in prison.
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