101 Monkey’s Days

The little monkey that has caused so much trouble in Tokyo since August has now been running loose for 101 days. The last reported sighting of the Japanese macaque was on Nov. 6 in  Itabashi, Tokyo.

The adventuresome wild monkey first appeared in Tokyo’s Shibuya train station the morning of Aug. 20. The lone simian caused a ruckus as it dashed through the rush hour crowds, then relaxed out of reach while cops and reporters gathered. The police efforts to net the monkey failed, and the macaque outran its pursuers and escaped into the metropolis.

The monkey has been spotted numerous times, and seems to favor the attractions inside the Yamanote train line, which circles central Tokyo.

Police continue to investigate reports of loose monkeys in the city. Sightings are regularly reported on Japan TV news programs. The initial August new reports and monkey-chase videos were distributed worldwide. (See monkey timeline.)

Temperatures can dip to 1 degree Celsius during the winter in Tokyo. If the Shibuya monkey is of the northern Japan tribe, the monkey will now have grown a heavy winter coat of hair.

Food sources for the monkey may be scarce in Tokyo in the colder months. Our monkey friend may have been eating heavily in the past 100 days in order to increase body fat.

Additionally, the Japan banana shortage is likely frustrating the monkey.

This holiday season, if you have some extra buds and bark, please carry it with you. If you see the monkey, please feed it.