Japan faces more wildlife menace as monkeys invade homes, steal food

As Japan battles a rising number of bear attacks, another wildlife menace has emerged in its Northern Alps: monkeys.

While the damage monkeys typically cause is relatively minor compared with bears, the latter of which have killed or injured at least 220 people since April, their antics have become increasingly bothersome as they break into homes, steal food and ravage crops.

In 2022, wild animals cost about 15.6 billion yen (US$100 million) in crop damage, Japan’s Agriculture Ministry reported, according to an Associated Press report. Deer, wild boars and macaques were responsible for about 70 per cent of that damage.

In Ariake, a district of Azumino city, a group of about 50 civil servants has been tasked with controlling the monkey population, estimated at around 600.

The group members carry GPS trackers to help them detect where the monkeys are. Wearing bright orange vests, they cause a racket by ringing bells, blowing whistles and striking rocks and trees with sticks to herd the monkeys back into the mountains.

Before 2023, only 1 per cent of monkeys in Ariake lived in the mountains. But thanks to the efforts of the group, the monkeys now spend about half their time in the mountains and only half in the surrounding villages.