Wild monkey on the loose in Shanghai's Jinshan district

[Video?provided by Jinshan District]

A monkey, which is believed to be a species of macaque, a national second-class protected animal, was spotted by several residents in Shanghai's Jinshan district over the weekend, local media reported on Monday.

The monkey was first reported to be seen around the area of Wan'anqiao in Zhujing township on Saturday.

On Sunday afternoon, Cai Qingtao, a staff at the Jinshan Center for Disease Control, said he saw a monkey attempting to open his office window.

An hour later, Jin Lei, a resident on 62 Weisheng Road, Zhujing, said he saw the monkey grab a tomato which he planted by his window.The forestry station of Jinshan has started an investigation. Through video footage captured by residents, the authority made a preliminary judgement that the monkey is a 20-kilogram macaque. No zoos in the city have reported any of their monkeys missing.

The district authority has warned residents not to feed, touch or provoke the monkey should they encounter it. Residents should keep a safe distance and call the police or the hotline 12345 if they spot the creature.