Japanese macaques are common throughout most of Japan and inhabit forested mountain slopes right down to the fringes of Tokyo. (Pixabay)

Sailors and civilians at a naval base near the Japanese capital have been told to keep their distance from a wild monkey spotted prowling nearby.

A “Monkey Warning” posted Monday by Naval Air Facility Atsugi, in Kanagawa prefecture, noted reports from nearby Ayase city of a primate roaming off base.

“The city is asking residents to not approach the monkey and to avoid unnecessary outdoor outings,” said a post on NAF Atsugi’s official Facebook page. “If you see a wild monkey, keep your distance, go indoors and please call NAF Atsugi Security.”

Base spokesman Greg Mitchell did not immediately respond to phone and email queries about the monkey Tuesday.

Monkey alerts have been issued for other U.S. military communities in and near Tokyo in recent years.

Camp Zama, headquarters of U.S. Army Japan, also in Kanagawa prefecture, warned residents on post and at a nearby housing area to be on the lookout for wild monkeys patrolling their neighborhoods in September 2021.

The following month, a Japanese macaque gained dual status as a celebrity and a fugitive at Yokota Air Base, home of U.S. Forces Japan in western Tokyo.

Spotted atop the roof of the base dental clinic, the monkey was soon a star of social media as base residents posted photos and videos of their macaque sightings.

Japanese macaques are common throughout most of Japan and inhabit forested mountain slopes right down to the fringes of Tokyo, the world’s largest urban area.

They are “gentle creatures that display frequent social interactions” and are seldom aggressive, according to the New England Primate Conservancy website.

Nonetheless, staring at them eye to eye can provoke an aggressive response, such as baring their teeth, according to JapanVisitor.com.

Further unwanted attention could result in a bite. They travel in troops, are active during the day and sleep in trees at night.