A monkey scampered through a residential neighborhood in Ibaraki City, Osaka prefecture, and ate a dried persimmon.

A passerby called police around 2:30 p.m. Feb. 13. "There is a big ape in the East Ota neighborhood," the woman told police. The Japanese macaque monkey snacked while police kept watch. The police pursued the monkey as it scampered along rooftops and power lines.

Around 5 p.m., the monkey jumped onto the Hankyu Kyoto Line railroad tracks and fled across the border into the Takatsuki City limits. The police lost sight of the monkey.

It is unclear if the Ibaraki City monkey is, or is related to, the Tokyo Shibuya monkey. If the Shibuya monkey travelled to Ibaraki City by train, it would have had to pass unnoticed through several stations, a difficult task for a dirty, smelly, yen-less, stressed monkey.

The appearance of a second monkey running wild in an urban area in Japan could be cause for concern. The Shibuya monkey apparently is stealing food and supplies. The Ibaraki City monkey stole a persimmon. The Shibuya monkey uses Tokyo train routes without paying fares. The Ibaraki City monkey also utilized public transportation facilities. An influx of lawbreaking, mass-transit-riding impish monkeys would divert police from other efforts, such as their never-ending campaign to inform every person over the age of 65, in person, twice, about frauds targeting the elderly.

The Ibaraki City monkey is on the police Most Wanted list for fruit theft now. Scientific studies have proven that stealing persimmons leads to a desire for stronger fruit – fresh ume and aomikan for example. The monkey could eventually become addicted to ginnan nuts.

Perhaps police have reason to worry. If the Ibaraki monkey teams with the Shibuya monkey, it would be another organized crime gang to be put down. The monkeys could take over the illegal ginnan nut trade.

We don’t believe the lovable Shibuya monkey could turn to a life of crime. However, if the two meet, the influence of the Ibaraki monkey may be too strong. Monkeys high on wild ginnan may dare to call senior citizens, convince them a relative is a monkey, and swindle cash for the monkey’s ultimate fix: bananas.

An ad campaign by the Bicycle Association of Japan advises bicycle buyers to look for the BAA-approved safety sticker on new bicycles. BAA ads focus on bicycle brake response and night visibility.

Laws in Japan requires seatbelts be worn by all occupants in vehicles.

A regulation requires helmets be worn by riders of motorized bicycles and motorcycles.

Laws ban sidewalk bicycling in principle. Activities illegal while riding a bicycle: Wearing headphones, using an umbrella, using a mobile phone, carrying more than one person (some exceptions apply), and ringing the bell too much.

According to a Nov. 2008 review of road traffic laws by East Asia Forum, parents are obliged to instruct kids under age 13 to wear bicycle helmets. But there is no penalty for violating the rule. The law permits bicyclists 13 or over to ride a bicycle without wearing a helmet.

related:A Crash Course Guide to Bicycle Safety; photos: Red lady; kid no helmet; suits; kid helmet.

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The macaque monkey that appeared unescorted at Shibuya train station in Tokyo in August 2008 remains free. The monkey outsmarted police and escaped into the city. Cops have been responding to the occasional monkey-sighting, but have failed to catch the chimp.

The monkey is now living in an internet cafe. The little simian was last seen in Tokyo Nov. 6, 2008. A chimp claiming to be the Shibuya monkey "Makawaii" has been posting updates via Twitter.

A primate specialist says monkeys that escape into urban areas become stressed and usually seek a quick return to their quiet hometowns. Taro Suzuki, Chief Profiler of the Missing Monkey Unit of the Association of Primates Special Hunting Team says monkeys that become lost in a city will make great efforts to return home. Distrusting public transportation, loose monkeys often hitchhike home.

Suzuki believes the Shibuya monkey was traumatized by the police attempts to catch the monkey. "As the nets were green, the monkey has probably developed a phobia about green. The countryside has much greenery and the monkey is afraid of returning to a forested area," the APSHT profiler said.

A review of photos of the monkey confirms Suzuki’s theory. The macaque is pictured in gray areas. One video shows the monkey fleeing from greenery in Tokyo.

Suzuki also studied Makawaii’s Twitter post archive. On Jan. 15, the monkey posted "Designing futur netcafe-it will be tiled room and have concret flors for ez cleening with hose". On Jan. 20, "jumping around and bouncing off the walls!!". On Jan. 27, the monkey wrote "hding under desk chewing fingernails."

"My analysis of the the monkey-posts indicates the monkey is suffering from dementia. The Shibuya monkey has taken shelter in the safety and comfort of an internet cafe. I recommend this as short term solution. As you can see, the confined space and fear of green is having a detrimental effect. I hope the monkey seeks treatment soon," Suzuki said.

Tokyo police would not comment on efforts to catch the monkey. Lets Japan has learned computer security experts are using traceroute data to locate the monkey. A source says the missing monkey appears to be using off-the-shelf software to create phantom computers to mask the source internet protocol address. Police are also using coordinates from spy satellites.

Lets Japan asked passers-by for ideas about apprehending the Shibuya monkey.
How do you catch a monkey?

I will spank the monkey.

He should stay indoors. It is cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.

I’d like to get my stinking paws on that damned dirty ape!

A drunken donkey will not remember the monkeys bite.