In recent weeks, at least 42 people have been injured in the city of Yamaguta. Among them are children and the elderly.
Japanese police are using sedative weapons in an attempt to stop a wave of attacks by wild monkeys terrorizing residents.
About This writes the BBC.
Japanese monkeys are blamed for the attacks
Although these monkeys are a common sight in a large part of the country, such incidents are rare in a short period of time.
“It is rare to see so many attacks in a short period of time. At first, only children and women were attacked. Recently Elderly people and adult men have also become targets,” said one city official.
They tried to catch the monkeys with traps, but failed. The authorities are not sure whether one monkey attacks, or several. The injuries varied among the people: scratches, bitten legs, arms, neck and abdomen.
A case has been reported when a four-year-old girl was scratched by a monkey breaking into the apartment. The animal also entered the kindergarten classroom. There have been numerous reports from residents that the monkey entered their home through sliding doors or open windows.
One resident said he heard his baby crying on the first floor of the house. When he arrived, the monkey was standing over the child.
Japanese macaques, once a vulnerable species, have recently increased in numbers. They have been listed as a species of concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
A Yamagata University study suggests that their recovery has “provoked serious conflicts between humans and macaques.” In particular, the distance has decreased. Changes in cultural attitudes towards macaques, changes in human behavior and changes in the forest environment are indicated as possible causes of conflicts.
Recall that a monkey attacked a 2-year-old child near Moscow and bit him badly: video.< /strong>
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