The Yomiuri Shimbun
SHIZUOKA--A female monkey which attacked nearly 120 local residents in Shizuoka Prefecture last year escaped on Monday from a cage in Mishima in the prefecture.
The once-captured monkey, named Rakkii, was kept at Rakujuen municipal park, but escaped in the morning when an employee of the park entered the cage to clean it, according to the city government.
The monkey was captured after attacking people in Mishima, Fujinomiya and other locations in the prefecture from August to October.
There were several reports of a monkey spotted outside the park and it was feared that, if it was Rakkii, she may attack people again.
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http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110124004346.htmSee also:
Mishima's menacing monkey manages zoo breakout
By JUN HONGO
Staff writer
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The 4-year-old female macaque, named Lucky, was originally captured in October after going on a weeks-long biting rampage in and around the eastern Shizuoka Prefecture city. Lucky is believed to be responsible for attacking more than 100 people before being collared and penned in Rakujuen National Park last year.
But one of Rakujuen's caretakers found Lucky missing from its cage Monday at around 7:15 a.m. A spokesman for the zoo area of the park, which is also in Mishima, said the monkey may have escaped while the cage was unlocked for a morning cleaning, adding that Lucky may not have strayed far from the zoo.
Rakujuen, which was closed Monday, may keep its gates shut from Tuesday on as long as Lucky remains at large, the spokesman said.
Lucky quickly became a popular attraction at the zoo. In addition to appearing in a local TV commercial, Lucky even has her own Twitter account.
Monkey madness: Lucky, a female macaque, sits in her cage at Rakujuen National Park in Mishima, Shizuoka Prefecture, in December. The notorious monkey, which went on a biting spree that terrorized the city for weeks — was found missing from the park's zoo Monday morning. KYODO PHOTO More:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110125a7.htmlHat-tip to: www.ThomHartmann.com
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