A monkey that terrorized residents across Indonesia’s Sumatra Island for two weeks has been captured, bringing relief to a town where its attacks forced dozens of schools to close.
The adult long-tailed macaque injured 18 people in Tembilahan, biting and scratching victims, many of whom were attacked while alone. The victims included both children and elderly residents.
“As of today, there were 19 attacks, with 18 victims. One victim was attacked twice,” Tembilahan fire and rescue service chief Junaidy Ismail told AFP.
Trappers caught the monkey late yesterday using a cage placed in the town. The rescue service released video showing the animal alive and appearing distressed behind the bars.
Town official Ari Syuria urged residents to stay alert, warning that the captured macaque may not have been acting alone.
“The concern is that there may be other monkeys attacking people,” Ari said in an Instagram post.
Forty schools remained closed today, while hundreds of students in Tembilahan were ordered to attend three days of classes online.
The local government said schools would reopen next Monday if officials determine that conditions are safe.
Authorities moved the monkey to Pekanbaru, the capital of Sumatra’s Riau province, where the nature conservation agency will conduct blood tests and observe its behavior.
“We want to establish whether the monkey is carrying any diseases,” agency official Ujang Holisudin told AFP.
Conflicts between people and wildlife are widespread across Indonesia’s vast Southeast Asian archipelago. The expansion of palm oil plantations has cleared rainforest and reduced the natural habitat of animals including monkeys, elephants and tigers, increasing the chances of encounters with humans.
