A member of a gang of monkeys that has terrorised residents of a Japanese city for weeks has been caught and killed, officials say.

The macaques have injured almost 50 people in Yamaguchi.

The male primate was found in the grounds of a high school on Tuesday evening by specially commissioned hunters.

It was tranquilised and later put down when it was identified as one of the animals responsible for the attacks.

Authorities have been hunting the monkeys since the attacks began on adults and children about three weeks ago. Most injuries have been mild scratches and bites.
Incidents are still being reported and the search continues for other members of the gang, an official at the local agricultural department told AFP.

"Eyewitnesses describe monkeys of different sizes, and even after the capture, we've been getting reports of new attacks," he said.

The captured monkey was estimated to be four years old and was about half a metre tall (1ft 7in).

Japanese macaques are common in large parts of the country and in some areas are considered a pest, eating crops and sometimes entering homes.

However, the attacks in Yamaguchi are unusual.

A city official said before the capture that it was "rare to see this many attacks in a short period of time".

"Initially, only children and women were attacked," they said, adding: "Recently, elderly people and adult men have been targeted too."

Earlier efforts to capture the animals with traps failed and police patrols set up in early July have been unsuccessful until now.

Reports include a four-year-old girl scratched after a monkey broke into her apartment and one animal entering a kindergarten classroom.

Once a vulnerable species, Japanese macaques have recently seen a population boom.

This has led to "serious conflicts" with people, according to research from Yamagata University. Changes in human behaviour and forest environments may be one cause.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-62316057

Gang of monkeys disturbing Japan, they for come Nigeria na

Lol ... looks like someone

2 of his comrades made FP days ago in a peppersoup pot

.... Gang of monkeys ke.. I hope they won't turn to terrorist because that's how it dey start.. Japan needs Nigeria army cos they are good at killing animals instead of fighting bokoharam... Amotekun and Ebube agu can also volunteer....

Good news

The monkey even look Japanese abi na my eyes ni? Lol send them to Nigeria and see men using them for pepper soup with agbado and cassava

how i wish it was naija no need for hunters every nigerian is a poacher on his own

U mean it resembles u?

Kosoco:
Lol ... looks like someone

I thought that u mean it resembles u

Kosoco:
Lol ... looks like someone

Who are u reffering to as

Kosoco:
Lol ... looks like someone

Am just curious dude! Please tell me... I won't tell anybody

babadigu:
Who are u reffering to as

Abeg make them come Nigeria we need them we go chop them wotowoto

The real gun monkeys

Maybe they occupied that area before humans came around...

Guess they are fighting for dia right like bokoharam

Is that not Master Liu ?

Make them mistakenly enter Nigeria like this, the day dem enter go be the last day you go hear of them.

Bandits of yamugachi

They're just like Tinubu paid urchins on nairaland

His gang will soon come for vengeance. Mafia gangs love vendetta.

Lol

Noted.

see the way the monkey post sef. monkeys are really annoying.. there was a time one of them ate one of my fowls in the compound.. if I catch anyone nah scape monkey e go be

Bihari go still claim ignorance of this one too?

.

And eaten

Kosoco:
Lol ... looks like someone

If I catch you mentioned Obasanjo there.....

that's what happens when you take the freedom humans give you for granted ,hope the rest go chill

May be na them assassinate Shinzo Abe sef