Japanese zoo reports laser incident targeting macaque Punch’s enclosure

The incident, believed to have occurred about a week ago, did not harm the monkeys, but officials warned it could have caused stress or even blindness.

“It is extremely dangerous. We will take firm action, such as immediately expelling (laser pointer) users from the zoo,” a zoo official said.

Punch, born in July, was abandoned by his mother and later given an orangutan plush toy by zookeepers for comfort. The zoo's social media updates about the young macaque attracted widespread attention and increased visitor numbers.

Earlier, it was reported that two U.S. nationals were each fined 300,000 yen ($1,876) for trespassing into the enclosure of Punch.