A Japanese macaque, also known as a snow monkey, was caught on camera peeking into a home in Yamaguchi City, Japan, as reported attacks on civilians increase.
The macaque can be seen clutching onto a railing of a door as it observes the interior of a house for about 10 seconds before walking away.
Japanese macaques, like the one seen in the video, have been terrorizing and attacking locals in the Ogori district of Yamaguchi City since July 8. With at least 58 people attacked, authorities have turned to tranquilizer guns to capture the wild monkeys.
Earlier this week, authorities captured and killed a wild monkey that was estimated to have been 4 years old and nearly two feet tall.
The rampaging monkeys have been invading homes and scratching or biting humans in the region.
The city is set to continue their patrols in their efforts to capture the monkeys as attacks continue to increase. Residents have been advised to lock their doors and windows and to keep their eyes on small children, as there have been reports of macaques attempting to snatch babies.
In one incident, an infant was badly scratched and almost kidnapped when a monkey invaded a home.
“I was vacuuming when I heard the child crying, so I turned around and saw the monkey had grabbed the child who was playing on the floor by the legs, and it felt like it was trying to drag him outside,” the infant’s mother said.
While Japanese macaques are a common sight on Yamaguchi island, the spate of attacks is unusual in the region.
“This is a very unusual occurrence; they have never come into an urban area like this before and assaulted this many people,” Masato Saito, an official from the Yamaguchi city hall, told CNN.
Featured Image via CBS News
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