Tokushima, Feb 04 (News On Japan) –
A collection of monkey assaults on residents have been reported in Tokushima City since January, with instances involving elementary and junior highschool college students prompting heightened police patrols.
In December final yr, a monkey was captured on video in a residential space in Tokushima City. A resident tried to scare it away by banging on a window, however the monkey shook a tree violently earlier than slowly retreating. Since final month, a number of sightings of the animal have been reported, together with instances of direct assaults.
In one occasion, a person jogging within the space had a monkey latch onto his leg. Another incident occurred close to an elementary college, the place a younger boy strolling to high school was grabbed from behind by the monkey.
While no monkey assaults have been reported final yr, 19 instances have already been recorded because the first incident on January 2nd. The assaults embrace biting and gripping victims’ legs. In response, native police have elevated patrols round faculties.
“I don’t know where it might appear from, so it’s really scary,” mentioned one resident. Another added, “I’m worried about the children. I’ve even stopped taking my usual walks because it’s too frightening.”
While investigating the monkey’s whereabouts, a resident reported seeing it about an hour earlier. “I saw the monkey in front of my house,” he mentioned. He rapidly moved away and was not harmed, however later found scratches on his automobile’s windshield, believed to have been left by the monkey’s claws.
Another lady recounted an in depth encounter on her method house from work. “I felt something wrapping around my leg as I was walking. When I looked down, I realized it was a monkey and managed to shake it off. It ran away but then chased after me again, grabbing onto my legs once more and leaving scratch marks.”
Tokushima City has elevated patrols and arrange traps to seize the monkey. “We installed this trap because the monkey passed through here before. It has a bright orange color to make it easily visible,” an official defined. “We check it daily, but so far, there’s no sign of the monkey being caught.”
Experts consider a single monkey is liable for the assaults. “It’s rare for a monkey to enter a city and directly interact with humans in this way. It’s likely the same individual,” one specialist mentioned. “It may have become accustomed to humans after picking up food they dropped or being fed, leading to these incidents.”
Authorities are urging residents to not strategy the monkey in the event that they encounter it. “The boundary between human and wildlife habitats is becoming increasingly blurred, as seen with bears as well. People should never feed wild animals or leave food behind,” mentioned a neighborhood knowledgeable.
Tokushima Prefecture advises residents to keep away from direct eye contact, slowly again away, and by no means run if they arrive throughout the monkey.
Source: KTV NEWS