The Green

Japanese commuters and foreign tourists found delight in snapping photos of a monkey that invaded the subway system in Tokyo. Authorities chased the monkey around the station and it employed superior climbing ability and diminutive agility to escape capture. This must have been an entertaining time to be riding the subway in Tokyo.

The population in Japan continues to grow and this means more wildlife is being pushed further into shrinking reserves. Given the monkey's higher than average animal intelligence and the ample supply of discarded food in cities, it is not surprising to find a simian pioneer exploring the delectable sundries offered up by a large city like Tokyo.

The 20 or so subway employees who were trying to catch the monkey ended up chasing it out onto the street, where it quickly made its way to Yoyogi Park. No doubt this monkey has erected some form of tree house as a base of operations for further forays into the wonderful world of human stuff.

Events like this are hilarious to consider but there is a serious side to the incident. This monkey is native to Japan so it should not be totally unexpected that one of them chooses to indulge its curiosity and visit the city. What this story suggests is that urbanized humans have become so separated from nature that the sighting of a monkey can create a public sensation so sizzling that it makes the international news circuit.