Member of marauding monkey gang put down by Japanese authorities, reports say
- The monkey was identified as responsible for at least one of the many attacks that have plagued the Japanese city of Yamaguchi since the start of July
- The Japanese macaque, also known as a snow monkey, was euthanised on Tuesday. At least 58 people have been injured in the attacks in recent weeks
Officials in Japan have put down a monkey they say was part of a gang of macaques terrorising the city of Yamaguchi for weeks, according to reports.
The Japanese macaque, which is sometimes referred to as a snow monkey, was euthanised on Tuesday after specially commissioned hunters used a tranquilliser gun to sedate it, The Guardian newspaper reported.
The monkey, believed to be four years old, was identified as responsible for at least one of the many attacks that plagued the southwestern Japanese city since the start of July, according to The Guardian.
An official at the local agricultural department told Agence France-Presse that the rest of the gang of macaques are still at large and are continuing to wreak havoc in the mountainous city, 80 miles from Hiroshima in western Japan.
“Eyewitnesses describe monkeys of different sizes, and even after the capture, we’ve been getting reports of new attacks,” the official said.
A spokesperson from Yamaguchi’s nature maintenance division declined to comment when contacted by Insider.
At least 58 people have been injured in the attacks by Japanese macaques in recent weeks, according to Associated Press. No one has been seriously injured, but those affected have been advised to get treated at a hospital, the news agency reported.
Injuries have included scratches on hands and legs and bites on necks and stomachs, according to CNN.