Overview
- Ichikawa City Zoo confirmed a YouTube video posted within the past week shows a visitor shining a laser at Punch, the baby macaque that became a social media sensation after being abandoned by his mother.
- Takashi Yasunaga, who oversees the city’s zoo division, called the act unacceptable and said pointing a laser at animals can cause major stress and possible eye damage if aimed at the eyes for long periods.
- Zoo staff reported that no physical harm to Punch or the other monkeys has been found so far after reviewing the video.
- As a precaution, the zoo has increased security patrols around the monkey enclosure and warned that anyone caught behaving similarly will be expelled immediately.
- The incident follows a May enclosure breach that led to arrests, underscoring how viral attention can draw intrusive visitor behavior and may prompt tighter enforcement and visitor restrictions.