Monkey problems near Mt. Fuji, Japan

An area near Japan’s famed Mt. Fuji is having increasing trouble with rowdy local inhabitants – monkeys that are stealing food and starting to attack humans.

According to Japanese news report on September 8th, 81 people have been reported being injured by an unknown number of wild monkeys in Mishima and three other nearby cities and towns in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture since August 22nd. The majority of the victims, which have included people of all ages, were bitten on the arms or legs.

Mishima had previously reported that monkeys were, most recently, causing trouble starting around June, mainly by stealing fruits and vegetables – such as bananas and corn – from local residents’ houses. The city had put out warnings to people to keep windows and doors shut, and not place food out in the open.

However, trouble has dramatically escalated in the past several weeks with the attacks. Local authorities have been sent out, including a task force of over 150 in the morning of September 8th, to try and catch the culprit monkey or monkeys, but to no avail. Mishima Mayor Masaomi Koike comment at a press conference on the 7th, “I’m terribly sorry that the city’s residents feel uneasy, and that we have not found a solution,” according to the Shizuoku Shimbun.

Mishima is now looking to offer a ¥200,000 (app. $2400 USD) bounty for captured monkeys. However, it is technically illegal according to Japan’s wildlife protection laws to catch the animal without the proper licensing, the Yomiuri noted. It has been suggested that if residents trap a monkey, for instance in a room, to call officials for help. It was added that the city hopes to apprehend the problematic animals alive.

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