Residents battle monkeys to protect homes in Japan

In the foothills of Japan’s Northern Alps, people are chasing monkeys.

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Wearing bright orange vests, the humans ring bells, blow whistles, and strike rocks and trees with walking sticks as they weave through bamboo and brush. Using GPS trackers, they follow the monkeys' movements and radio teammates to close in when nearby. The aim is to herd the animals back into the mountains and away from farms and homes.

About 90 kilometers (55 miles) to the south, Jigokudani Monkey Park attracts more than 200,000 visitors a year — half of them from overseas — who come to see the same species soak in the hot springs.

Beloved by tourists, Japanese macaques are hated by many locals.

The monetary damage they cause is relatively minor, compared to losses from boar, deer, and crows. But the monkeys are increasingly a bother for people on farms and in neighborhoods near the mountains, breaking into homes, stealing food, and ruining crops.

In 2022, Japan's Agriculture Ministry reported total crop damage from wild animals, including monkeys, at 15.6 billion yen ($100 million), with deer, wild boars, and macaques causing about 70 percent of that damage.

Enter the Monkey Chasing Squad, about 50 paid, part-time civil servants who try to control the monkeys.

Before 2023, nearly all the monkeys in Ariake, a district of Azumino city, lived within the town, with only one percent in the mountains, said Masaya Miyake, who moved to Azumino five years ago and now leads the squad. According to the city, the macaques spend about half their time in the hills and the remainder in the villages, an improvement both Miyake and the city attribute to the group’s efforts.