More than 900 attacks in a year — a Japanese city is plagued by monkeys

In the Japanese city of Yugawara, monkeys are attacking people with increasing frequency. Over the past year, police have recorded more than 900 incidents of intimidation or aggressive behavior by the animals. The latest victim was a 40-year-old man who was bitten on the hands by monkeys near a local pub.

 

The incident occurred early in the morning near one of the local pubs in Yugawara. Around 7:00 a.m., a group of monkeys attacked the 40-year-old man. The animals bit his hands several times. The man tried to fend them off and was eventually able to escape. Due to his injuries, he required medical attention at a hospital.

Local residents have already dubbed the group of aggressive monkeys “Pack T1.” According to police, since 2025, there have been more than 900 incidents in the city involving the intimidation of people or aggressive behavior by animals. Residents say they are increasingly afraid to leave their homes because of the monkeys. This is particularly worrying for the elderly, of whom there are many in the city.

One local resident, who is over 80 years old, told reporters that he has even stopped gardening because of the monkeys. “I usually garden, but I don’t do it anymore. Because the monkeys come,” the man said. Yugawara is located in central Japan. The city is known for its natural beauty and hot springs and usually attracts many tourists.

 

However, the recent increase in the monkey population has become a serious problem for local residents. People are concerned not only by the number of animals but also by the fact that they are becoming bolder and venturing closer to residential areas. Experts have not yet been able to explain exactly why the monkeys are acting so boldly.

Tourists may be making the situation worse

Mieko Seino, a representative of the Primatological Society of Japan, believes that one of the reasons may be the behavior of tourists. According to her, people feed the monkeys, after which the animals begin to venture closer to populated areas more frequently. “Tourists feed them, and then they look for empty houses to give birth in, which only makes the problem worse,” Seino said.

Local authorities are currently awaiting government approval to implement measures to control the monkey population. Specifically, the city plans to capture male monkeys to curb the birth of new offspring. Yugawara is not the only Japanese city facing aggressive monkeys. In 2022, the city of Yamaguchi in western Japan recorded about 60 such incidents over a three-week period.

At that time, the monkeys not only attacked people but also broke into houses and apartments. This forced local authorities to find ways to reduce the number of such incidents. Now, Yugawara is facing a similar problem, where residents are increasingly concerned for their safety due to the monkeys’ regular appearances. The Daily Star reports on this.