TOKYO - A monkey walking upright on two legs was spotted in a residential area of Tokyo on April 23rd, drawing attention as it crossed a street in the rain before entering a nearby field and munching on crops.
The animal was later seen heading toward Niiza City in neighboring Saitama Prefecture.
Shortly before the monkey’s appearance, a nearby acupressure clinic reported that dried persimmons hanging from the eaves had been stolen. Witnesses noted that the monkey appeared to be missing its left hand.
"It didn’t have a left hand, but it managed to eat very skillfully," one local said.
The same monkey—distinguished by its missing limb—had also been sighted the previous weekend in the Saitama cities of Yashio and Koshigaya. On April 22nd, it was seen in Nerima Ward, Tokyo, crossing a pedestrian walkway on two legs despite the traffic light being red. Witnesses described a tense moment as cars braked and the monkey successfully made it across.
After crossing the street, the monkey reportedly rested atop a car, then leapt onto a wall and disappeared into a residential area. On the morning of April 23rd, further sightings were reported within Nerima, where the animal was observed walking along a roadside shoulder, again on two legs.
Up until March, the same monkey had been observed moving on all fours. The recent shift to bipedal movement, if it is indeed the same individual, has puzzled both residents and experts.
The monkey has also been seen resting frequently after walking short distances, sometimes beside vending machines, prompting speculation about physical strain.
"It seemed like it was walking with effort... like it was tired," another witness said.
Yamato Tsuji, a professor at Ishinomaki Senshu University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering, commented on the monkey’s new gait: "If it has only recently started walking on two legs, it’s probably not used to it yet, which would put a lot of strain on its body. That could explain why it's being seen more often in a limited area."
Source: FNN
