WELCOME to hell. This is the Jigokudani monkey park in Nagano prefecture, Japan. – although it is actually a rather heavenly place for monkeys.
Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata fuscata) are the only monkeys native to Japan, and live further north than any other non-human primate. Famous for their habit of bathing in hot springs, they can also leap, as can be seen in this shot by US photographer Diane McAllister. The monkeys are strong swimmers, so if the one in this photo didn't make the leap, it would be fine.
I once swam out to an uninhabited island off the Izu Peninsula south of Tokyo and encountered a troop of macaques. The alpha male didn't notice me, he was happily copulating with his females. The females, for their part, seemed unperturbed by his attention. I later learned that bisexuality is often seen in Japanese macaques.
These monkeys can also use tools – something more commonly associated with apes. They have been spotted washing food in the sea, perhaps even using the saltwater to season their food. I wouldn't fancy sharing a hot spring with them, though, because they have the unpleasant habit of turning the spring into a giant, bubbling latrine. Come to think of it, that would be quite hellish.
This article appeared in print under the headline "Mind the gap"
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