These locked-down cities are being reclaimed by animals
World Economic ForumMay 25, 2020
On Wed., city officials in Yamaguchi, Japan announced that they are hunting for a group of monkeys that have attacked and wounded nearly 50 people. Authorities have captured and killed just one monkey so far.
City officials have been tracking the rogue monkeys for weeks as they assaulted residents, mostly leaving mild scratches and bites.
The COVID pandemic has blurred safe boundaries between humans and wild animals. With shops, schools, and public infrastructure closed and people at home, many animals began infiltrating human habitats. Expect more acts of aggression from our primate cousins as humans reclaim our pre-pandemic turf.
This pre-dates COVID; humans have a long history of decimating primates. 66% of primates today are vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered and 85% of primates are in decline. Ruthless hunting and deforestation are bringing us perilously closer to tragic extinction events. Issues like poverty and climate change are driving this, and primate stress is a "canary in the coal mine" for larger systemic issues facing humanity.