MONKEY TERRORISES JAPANESE CITY
A small city in the southwestern region of
Japan is under attack from a wild monkey. It’s been reported that the monkey
breaks into homes to bite and claw residents.
According to the city’s administrative
office, 20 people in the Ogori area of Yamaguchi have been attacked by the
monkey since the first report on 8 July.
The neighbourhood is a residential area
where wild monkeys are hardly seen outside of the forest.
CNN reports that the youngest victim is a
10-month-old girl, whose leg was scratched by the monkey after it entered
through a screen door on the first floor of her house. On Tuesday evening, the
monkey struck at an elementary school, biting a 10-year-old boy on the arm and
both hands.
While no one has been able to confirm what
type of monkey it is, the area is home to macaques, known as Japanese snow
monkeys.
The parks in the area are known to be
terrorised by macaques, often scavenging for food and bothering visitors for
more food.
Police have been ramping up patrols in the
area and have urged the public to keep their windows closed while the hunt
continues.
Image credit: Live Science