According to a report from the Associated Press, at least 58 people have been attacked by wild monkeys in southwestern Japan in the past few weeks, and no one seems to know why. The city official told the AP that he had never seen anything like it. A special unit has been set up by the city hall to tranquilize and capture the primate.
According to a report from CNN, there have been no serious injuries, but victims have been bitten and scratched all over their bodies. The number of confirmed attacks has doubled in a week. Saito said that the monkeys were so smart that they were able to sneak up and attack from behind.
Attacks like this are serious business. People are killed by monkeys in India.
The monkeys in Japan are known on the internet for relaxing in hot springs. The ones attacking people seem to be more aggressive than usual. The best advice is to stay away from a macaque.
When confronted by a monkey, the instructions are: Do not look them in the eye, make yourself look as big as possible, such as by spreading open your coat, then back away as quietly as possible without making sudden moves, according to Saito.
Authorities thought a single macaque could be to blame for the violence. It is now clear that that is not the case. The tranquilizer team captured and euthanized a monkey that had attacked someone. Since the killing of a monkey, there have been more attacks.
At least one monkey entered people's homes and a school through open windows and doors. People are increasingly facing monkey assaults outside as a result of people being on alert and making buildings more secure. One woman was attacked while hanging laundry outside of her home.
Conflict between people and macaques could be the cause of the attacks. According to Mieko Kiyono, a wildlife management researcher at Kobe University, monkeys are damaging crops in Japan. fireworks may be used to chase monkeys away from local governments.
Kiyono said that the response may be stoking hostility among the macaques. The monkeys are social and learn from each other. Kiyono said that more monkeys that don't fear humans will join other herds. The macaques may have reached their limits in Yamaguchi.
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