A wild monkey is terrorizing a small town in southwestern Japan, entering homes to bite and scratch residents amid a hunt for the animal, officials said.
About 20 people in the Yamaguchi area of Ogori have been attacked by the monkey since July 8, with most victims suffering minor injuries, according to the city administration office.
The youngest victim is a ten-month-old girl whose leg was scratched by the monkey after the animal entered one of the doors on the first floor of the house.
On Tuesday night, the monkey attacked an elementary school, biting a 10-year-old boy in one of his arms and both hands, according to public television broadcaster NHK.
He attacked two other people on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning (20): two women, in their 60s and 80s, who were outside at the time.
In other recent attacks, the monkey bit a man drying clothes outside and a woman whose balcony door was open. He also attacked two children after climbing and entering their home through a window, NHK reports.
Authorities have not confirmed which species of monkey was responsible for the attacks, but said the area is mostly inhabited by Japanese macaques. This species can be found in parks in several regions of Japan, often stealing food from visitors.
Police are increasing patrols in the area and asking people to keep their windows closed while the search continues.
The Ogori area is mostly residential, and it is rare for a wild monkey to leave the forest and injure humans, a spokesperson for the prefecture said.
Source: CNN Brasil
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