Over 900 attacks in a year: monkey terrorizes town
The Japanese resort town of Yugawara is facing an aggressive troop of wild monkeys that has carried out over 900 attacks in the past year. The latest victim is a 40-year-old man who was bitten on the hands near a pub. Authorities are awaiting permission to trap males to curb the population.
Residents of the Japanese resort town of Yugawara are dealing with an aggressive troop of wild monkeys that has carried out over 900 attacks in the past year. The latest victim is a 40-year-old local man who was bitten on the hands near a pub early in the morning, requiring hospitalization. Police reports confirm the systemic nature of the problem since 2025. Elderly residents, who make up a significant portion of the population, are afraid to leave their homes. Primatologist Mieko Seino from the Primatological Society of Japan explained that tourists feed the monkeys, dulling their fear of humans, and the animals occupy vacant houses for breeding. Municipal authorities are awaiting government permission to trap males to curb the expansion. In 2022, the city of Yamaguchi recorded 60 monkey attacks on humans over three weeks.