YAMAGUCHI: There have been many reports of humans being attacked by monkeys in a residential area of the Ogori district of the western Japan city of Yamaguchi, with a total of 58 people suffering injuries, such as bites, as of noon Wednesday.

The city is on high alert, believing that multiple monkeys are harming citizens as attacks are continuing after a monkey was captured after being shot by a tranquilizer gun.

The first of the series of the attacks occurred on July 8, when a monkey entered a house by opening a screen window and scratched a baby’s leg.

At first, monkeys targeted children including nursery kids taking a nap and elementary school students as well as elderly people. But they later started attacking adult males.

While no serious injuries have been confirmed, an official of the nature preservation department of the Yamaguchi prefectural government sounded an alarm, saying that monkeys are “becoming increasingly violent.”

A man in his 80s was attacked by a monkey from behind while he was weeding. He tried to drive it off using a hoe, but ended up suffering about 10 wounds to his back and side in a matter of seconds. “I could have been injured more severely if I hadn’t had the hoe,” the man said.

“I feel insecure because I have no idea when and where monkeys will show up,” he added.

The city government of Yamaguchi and the Yamaguchi prefectural police have started joint patrols from early in the morning and also set traps.

On Tuesday, a contracted company captured a monkey using a tranquilizer gun and euthanized it. Monkey attacks, however, are continuing.

A woman who has witnessed monkeys many times said, “There were at least two monkeys with clearly different fur colors.”

The city estimates that the monkeys attacking humans were those that strayed from troops since only one monkey was seen in each case.

The city is calling on residents to make sure to lock their windows and doors as there have been cases in which monkeys entered houses by breaking screen windows.

Locals are also being asked to run away without making eye contact with a monkey if they spot the animal and report the matter to authorities.

“They don’t seem to be crazy about food, so they don’t get caught in traps,” a city government official in charge said.

“We have no choice but to continue taking measures patiently,” the official added.

JIJI Press