23 injured by monkeys in Shizuoka
SHIZUOKA —
Authorities said Tuesday that 23 people have been injured since Sunday by monkeys, believed to be Japanese macaques, appeared in residential areas on the outskirts of Mishima in Shizuoka Prefecture.
The monkeys bit and scratched a number of local residents. According to city authorities, there have been a number of eyewitness reports of monkeys raiding homes in search of food throughout the last two months.
On Monday morning, a housewife was bitten on the leg after a monkey opened the screen door and entered her kitchen. On Tuesday, an 80-year-old woman was attacked from behind on the porch of her house and a first-grade school girl was also injured after she was scratched by a monkey that had entered her home.
Residents say the domestic incursions are usually performed by a single, male monkey, but that they have witnessed cases in which two other monkeys stand guard outside.
The local government is cooperating with the police and fire departments to prepare traps and perform searches in an attempt to catch the simian assailants as soon as possible. City authorities are also appealing to residents to firmly lock their windows.
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37 Comments
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smithinjapan
"Residents say the domestic incursions are usually performed by a single, male monkey, but that they have witnessed cases in which two other monkeys stand guard outside."
Classic! Still, I hope they can catch the little guys and get them out of there. It would be a shame to have to start culling them.
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Lunchbox
Chuck in a few bananas, and this article would be brilliant!
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mikihouse
The problem is that the monkeys knew that there is nothing that the local people can do. They are protected by the government much like the deers.
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herefornow
I've said many times here, in effect, that this country is "going to the dogs". Guess I was wrong.
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nikoniko78
Uh, what? I hunt deer and other animals in Japan freely. They are certainly not protected by the government. In fact, in my prefecture, they just increased the number of deer you can hunt in one day from one to three. You can also hunt monkeys in Japan, though I have no interest in doing that as I only hunt what I want to eat. However, to hunt monkeys, you need permission for each one you want, which can get expensive at approximately 30,000yen for one.
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kyushujoe
@mikihouse
Are you serious? How do they know? Check with their lawyers?
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yourock
arrange a cull, say 30% of the population, and sell the meat to fund future culls! as is, what is done for the whales. monkey soup anyone?
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kurumazaka
Had my own run in with monkeys in Karuizawa back in 2001. Came upon a whole group while walking back streets. Most were cool with us, including the obvious alpha, but two young males got very aggressive. Had to hold them off with a stick while my wife, son and mother in law fled. Was kind of scary because they obviously were not the least bit afraid of me and had this “I want to rip your face off“ look in their eyes. Locals said they were probably after my son, who was only 8 at the time. Still like them, but take them far more seriously now.
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Japlan
These marauding monks are obviously unemployed.
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TumbleDry
monkey see, monkey do.
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Kronos
Monkey business.
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ogtob
Unruly local residents?
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Moondog
Sounds to me like the residents need to get some of those plastic pellet guns they sell to kids, er, childish adults here. They pack a nasty sting but don't do any permanent damage unless you hit an eye.
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alladin
Be careful everyone!!! The monkey`s are taking over. They are smarter than you actually think. They are now so brave, that they are starting to enter into peoples homes to steal food and if you do something to startle them they will attack with a vicious bite.
I think the only way to control this is to put out a reward for dangerous monkey`s. I would say 5000 yen per monkey should do it.
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Weasel
I prefer using 12 gauge shells loaded with rock salt.
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M51T
Just trap them, then release them many miles away. It worked with the kid that grafittied my fence.
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Sarge
They may have to bring in the SDF to take care of these monkeys.
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MrDog
I hate monkeys and would gladly kill every one if I was asked to. I'd be like the Road Warrior, only with monkeys instead of bikers.
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bababooey
Ganbare, saru-chan!
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kyoken
So monkeys are protected and dolphins not. It could be an idea to exchange the protection for one year and everyone is happy.
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some14some
Hope these monkeys did not learn from Akihabara incident.
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nemur
It's not true.
I have killed 2 by myself. Golf sticks do the perfect job ;)
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jason6
All you need is a slow acting poison hidden in some yummy fruit.. is it unneccessary cruelty until they get their hands on an infant? Or do they wanna wait for the overreaction and complete extermination of all monkeys in Japan.
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larguero
These bands of bad monkeys (two that wait outside, one that enters to steal food and attack the resident) are just the tip of the iceberg of a revolution that has already started. The monkey revolution is coming!
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kyushujoe
I don't get it. Stand guard against what?
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telecasterplayer
and signaling each other with iPhones
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XXXXX
"domestic incursions are usually performed by a single, male monkey, but that they have witnessed cases in which two other monkeys stand guard outside." they sound incredibly like humans..
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alladin
This is so funny... There were 2 monkeys standing guard out side. hahaahahha.. So hilarious. I think the monkeys are getting smarter than the Japanese people.
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Ranger_Miffy
"...deers". OUCH. It's "deer".
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isthistheend
Somewhat simple-minded people!
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bicultural
Getting injured by a monkey means you're simple-minded now? Better watch my back then.
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Frungy
Does no-one remember those monkeys that escaped from that research lab about two months back? They're organising their army and soon the revolution will begin!! I'm stocking up on bananas to pay our new overlords their tribute! ;)
Seriously though, many countries have this problem. As usual the lunatic fringe want to go shooting guns in residential areas (flaming morons, who do you think is more likely to get hit, a monkey or a child?).
The solution is actually laughably simple. Just take a paper plate, and paint a monkey face on it with it's teeth bared showing VERY large incisors. Put it on your door or wherever the monkeys are coming from (on your fence post, wherever). The monkeys will see the face and incisors (a sign of a VERY large and aggressive alpha male) and will back off and go somewhere else. If that fails just let off some small fireworks and they'll leave you along for weeks. If that fails then as a FINAL option you call the animal specialists at the local zoo and they'll be glad to get rid of them.
You do NOT shoot monkeys. They learn very quickly and sure you'll kill a few before they figure out the connection between the gun, the human and the monkeys dying... and then the alpha male in the group (the biggest, meanest monkey) will start attacking anyone holding anything gun-shaped, from brooms to kids coming home from kendo practice with their shinai. In short it'll make the problem MUCH worse.
Habitat destruction is the real problem here anyway. Partition off an area for the monkeys, feed them well, and like humans they'll see no reason to leave their habitat, in fact if you install a TV they'll probably spend all day fighting over the remove and sending the smaller monkeys to fetch them bananas.
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Frungy
remove = remote, sorry, typo
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Foxie
It is true that these monkeys are a real pest and some of them even carry deadly viruses, so this is not laughable. South Africa has the same problem with baboons and they too are struggling to keep them out of their houses. Shizuoka is unfortunately a huge prefecture and you can see them everywhere.
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Sarge
The monkeys are definitely savvy.
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