(1/27/98)
TOKYO -- A pack of wild monkeys swooped down and attacked passersby in a Japanese seaside town, injuring 26 people, a town official said on Tuesday.
The monkeys appeared in gardens and streets, biting people in the back and legs.
Local authorities using loudspeakers warned residents to beware of the monkeys as the town organized a hunt for them.
``We have to move fast to do something about these monkeys because the people here are scared to death,'' the official said.
The injuries were slight and all of the victims received injections for rabies.
The wave of attacks by a group of six monkeys occurred between Sunday morning and Monday evening in the central Japanese town of Ito.
``This is the first time this has ever happened and we're not sure why it happened,'' the official said. ``We've had a lot of snow in the mountains the past couple of weeks so maybe the monkeys were looking for food below. This breed of monkey has been known to steal and eat small children.''