War on marauding monkeys

Two Japanese towns have declared war on a band of marauding monkeys that have attacked more than 60 people in the forested foothills of Mount Fuji, local officials said.

Alarmed by an unusual spate of biting and scratching attacks, Mishima and Susono have deployed hundreds of volunteers, city staff, police, rescue workers and animal researchers to ward off and catch the animals.

At least 62 people have suffered minor injuries since August 22 in the two towns in Shizuoka prefecture west of Tokyo, and the cities are now considering using tranquiliser guns against the animals, an official said.

“If possible, we want to capture them,” a Mishima city official said by telephone. “But we have deep forests and a mountain range. Once they flee, it’s difficult to catch them.”

Mishima city’s website now gives monkey-sighting updates and volunteers accompany children on their way to school. Susono has set up a 150-strong team to go after the monkeys, believed to be a macaque species.

Stories of monkey attacks are common in rural Japan, where farmers often report fruit damage and tourists in remote mountain areas are sometimes bitten, especially in winter, by animals searching for food.

Animals experts have told Mishima and Susono officials that the mischievous monkeys may be attacking people for fun, and that the attacks should end once the animals become bored, the official said.