Macaques in Yamaguchi Form Aggressive Monkey Gang Responsible for Over 50 Attacks

A group of "specially commissioned hunters" recently tracked down and killed a monkey that has been terrorizing people in Japan; it was a member of a "monkey gang," a group of macaques, that has been responsible for over 50 attacks in Yamaguchi, Japan.

The non-human primates, Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata), have been terrorizing the city for almost a month by biting and scratching locals. Macaques are the northernmost species of this type of primate. According to the BBC, in addition to attacking people in the streets, the monkeys have also developed the ability to climb into windows and open sliding doors. A 4-year-old girl was trampled on by a monkey that managed to break into a kindergarten classroom once. Another incident involved a monkey that allegedly tried to steal a baby by climbing through a window.

Taking Up Arms

The 4-year-old male monkey that was recently put to death was connected to at least one city attack, though it's not clear if he was the main offender or not. In either case, it's highly improbable that the gang will let the people of Yamaguchi alone. According to a study, conflicts between macaques and people have been intensifying in the area for decades, particularly in rural areas where the monkeys gorge on farmers' crops.

Red List

According to a paper, Japanese macaque populations are steadily increasing, and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List classifies the species as one of the least concern. However, there was a time when these monkeys faced extinction. About half of Japan's forests, which are home to macaques, were lost to deforestation by the turn of the nineteenth century. In addition to the loss of habitat, widespread hunting also hurt these primate populations. By the time of World War II, macaques were both locally extinct and threatened throughout much of their former range in Japan.

Japan outlawed macaque hunting following World War II. But it turned out that the campaign to save these monkeys was a little too productive. Nisaetus nipalensis, a mountain hawk-eagle, and Canis lupus hodophilax, a Japanese wolf, the macaques' two primary predators, are both critically endangered and extinct. Macaque populations have erupted due to a lack of these predators to control their numbers, which has increased interactions with humans and led to the type of conflict seen in Yamaguchi.

According to the authors of the 2021 study, Japan's changing demographics may also be a factor in the rise in violence between macaques and people. People have migrated from rural to urban areas over the past five decades. According to the study, it's possible that animals, such as roving bands of brazen macaques, are relocating and taking control of these small villages because fewer people are living there and some of them have been abandoned. According to NBC News, this change has an impact on urban areas like Yamaguchi. In the past, these agricultural areas served as a barrier between cities and wildlife. The demise of rural communities is increasing the frequency of wildlife encounters for city dwellers.

Life Goes On

The remainder of the monkey gang has continued despite losing one member, according to Insider. The macaques still wreak havoc on Yamaguchi almost a week later, Live Science reports.