A city in Chiba Prefecture has culled 57 monkeys at a zoo after finding they were cross-breeds of Japanese monkeys and rhesus macaques, which have been designated as an invasive alien species in the country and apparently pose a threat to the…
A city in Chiba Prefecture has culled 57 monkeys at a zoo after finding they were cross-breeds of Japanese monkeys and rhesus macaques, which have been designated as an invasive alien species in the country and apparently pose a threat to the natural environment. Takagoyama Nature Zoo in Futtsu, Chiba, had considered the monkeys to be pure Japanese monkeys and had been housing them with 107 others. The culling, however, was conducted after the city found them to be crossbreeds. The law on invasive alien species prohibits rearing of rhesus macaques and their mixed breeds. The zoo is located only 3km from the habitat of Japanese monkeys, called “Nihonzaru” in Japanese and designated as a protected species in the country, prompting concerns about the impact on their habitat.
