Nanjing’s cat lovers may be disturbed to know that equally-cute monkeys have been abusing their beloved would-be pets on the campus of a university in Nanjing. But the monkey business also extended to a multitude of fun in other, less-aggressive ways.
It was around 06:00 on 23 April that the monkeys were first discovered on the campus of Nanjing University of Science and Technology, known colloquially by its Chinese abbreviation, Nanligong (南理工).
Being based in Nanjing’s eastern suburb of Xiaolingwei, the University is near to Purple Mountain, from where the invaders are thought to have originated.
Among the many videos taken by those on campus, one shows a monkey toying with a cat before repeatedly bashing it to the ground. As the monkey runs off, the cat remains on the ground, apparently injured in some way.
However, it wasn’t all cruelty. In another video, a large monkey sits atop a building munching on an indeterminate snack, all the while cuddling a maturing kitten.
Elsewhere across the Nanligong campus, monkeys sat on benches, climbed trees, played with hammocks and even flirted with dogs, while taunting local people and being chased by them in equal measure.
The monkeys are also suspected of even entering the University’s student dormitory, reports The Paper. A video of the monkeys’ antics can be seen via this link.
University staff said that after the wild monkeys were found, personnel were arranged to guard them to prevent harm also coming to any people getting caught in the monkeys’ path.
We in Nanjing are blessed with an abundance of local wildlife, much of it centred on the magnificent Purple Mountain.
Chen Yuelong is an animal rescue worker at Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo. Writing in The World of Chinese, he explains, “Due to Nanjing’s geography and planning policies, you can encounter medium-sized or larger species within the city limits. These include water deer, badgers, ferret-badgers and the renowned Nanjing wild boar”.
