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image source, Getty Images
A member of the monkey gang that has terrorized residents of the Japanese city of Yamaguchi for the past few weeks has been captured and killed, Japanese authorities said.
The wave of attacks carried out by the macaques has left almost 50 people injured.
After being found on Tuesday night on the grounds of an institute by hunters, the male specimen was given a tranquilizer and was later euthanized after being identified as one of the animals responsible for the attacks.
Authorities have been hunting the monkeys since attacks on adults and children began about three weeks ago. Most of the injuries have been minor scratches and bites.
“Eyewitnesses describe monkeys of different sizes and even after the capture we have been receiving reports of new attacks,” an official from the local agriculture department told AFP, confirming that the operation against the primates continues.
It is estimated that the killed animal had four years old and about half a meter tall.
an unusual threat
Japanese macaques are common in much of the country and although they were once considered a vulnerable species, they have seen an increase in their population in recent times.
However, in some areas of the Asian nation they are considered a pest, as they eat crops and sometimes enter houses.
However, attacks like the ones recorded in Yamaguchi are rare.
image source, Getty Images
Monkey attacks are not frequent, but scientific studies attribute them to changes in the habits of humans and the forest environment.
A city official said before the capture that it was “rare to see so many attacks in such a short period of time.”
“At first, only children and women were attacked,” he said, adding: “Lately, the elderly and adult men have also been targeted of attacks“.
Among the victims is a four-year-old girl who was scratched by a monkey that entered a kindergarten classroom.
Previous efforts to capture the animals by trapping failed, and police patrols established in early July have not achieved better results either.
Research from Yamagata University attributes these incidents to changes in human behavior and modifications to the forest environment.
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