Officials in Gifu and Kumamoto prefectures suspect that Japanese monkeys are being bred and sold to researchers by firms that lack proper authorization.
Gifu prefectural officials Sunday searched a breeding facility of an animal-marketing company in the city of Gifu, suspecting monkeys were unlawfully being bred there and later sold.
Before the search, the Gifu Prefectural Government's natural environment and forestry division received a report that the company, Komori Dobutsu Kikaku, had killed three monkeys and incinerated them, the officials said.