Who Are Jahnai Dayson And Neal Jabahri Duan? American Tourists Arrested For Breaking Into Punch's Enclosure

Two American tourists have been arrested in Japan after a reckless social media stunt saw one of them infiltrate a restricted zoo habitat while dressed in a novelty costume. The incident occurred on Sunday, 17 May, at the Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba Prefecture, outside Tokyo.

The tourist targeted the enclosure of a nine-month-old baby macaque named Punch, who became a global internet sensation earlier this year. Police officials confirmed that they breached security barriers to film content for digital platforms, triggering widespread condemnation from locals and animal welfare advocates alike.

US Tourist Breaks Into Punch's Enclosure

Footage circulating rapidly across social media platforms captured the moment the security breach took place at the zoo's popular 'monkey mountain' exhibit. In the video, a man identified as one of the tourists scales the high perimeter safety fence and drops directly into the dry moat surrounding the primate habitat.

Dressed in a bizarre costume featuring a large, yellow smiley-face emoji head adorned with sunglasses, the intruder advanced toward the animals and dropped a small stuffed toy into the exhibit.

The unexpected intrusion caused immediate panic amongst the resident macaques, causing the troop to scatter frantically across the rock formations. Zoo staff intervened immediately, apprehending the individual before he could make direct physical contact with the animals.

Two Tourists Arrested For Zoo Stunt

The Ichikawa Police Department moved quickly to detain the individuals involved, booking them on formal charges of forcible obstruction of business. As reported by CBS News via its Japanese partner network TBS News, the suspects have been identified as 24-year-old Reid Jahnai Dayson and 27-year-old Neal Jabahri Duan.

Local authorities stated that Dayson was the individual who physically climbed and broke into the enclosure, while Duan stood at the viewing barrier to film the entire stunt.

As reported by People, according to an official statement provided to AFP, the duo did not possess formal identification at the scene and initially attempted to provide false names to responding officers. While both men currently refute the legal charges against them, they remain in police custody pending further investigation.

Who Are Jahnai Dayson And Neal Jabahri Duan?

Prior to their sudden legal troubles in Chiba Prefecture, Dayson and Duan were visiting the country as international tourists, seemingly seeking to capitalise on the immense digital footprint of the zoo's most famous resident. Multiple reports identified Dayson as a university student while Duan was a singer.

The target of their stunt, a baby Japanese macaque named Punch, amassed a massive global fanbase under the viral hashtag #HangInTherePunch after the zoo documented his heartbreaking upbringing.

Abandoned by his mother shortly after his birth in July 2025, Punch won the hearts of millions when photographs emerged of the lonely infant clinging tightly to an IKEA plush orangutan for emotional comfort.

The unprecedented influx of international visitors tracking the young animal's rehabilitation has mirrored a broader trend in Japan, which has seen a record surge in post-pandemic tourism. However, the incident has renewed intense local frustration regarding the disruptive and unruly behaviour of foreign content creators attempting to garner internet notoriety.

Update Following The Intrusion

Following the security breach, managers at the Ichikawa City Zoo issued a public update on X, confirming that comprehensive safety assessments had yielded no structural damage or physical abnormalities among the primates.

To prevent future disruptions, the facility has restricted public access areas, initiated permanent security patrols, and commenced the installation of heavy intrusion-prevention nets around the perimeter. Zoo officials are also reportedly discussing a blanket ban on video recording at the site to deter similar stunts.