The Japanese Marques
The Japanese macaques, also known as the Snow Monkeys, are cute looking monkeys that are native to Japan. What makes them special? These are the only nonhuman primates to live in such a cold climate – they live where snow covers the ground for several months, which gives them the name ‘Snow Monkeys.’ While most monkeys in the world live in the areas within the tropics and subtropics, these primates live in cold regions where the temperature may dip as low as 14 degrees F in the winter months.
If you want to see these animals really up close, the place to visit is the Jigokudani Monkey Park in Japan. Located in the beautiful Yokoyugawa Valley, Nagano Prefecture, the park has been named Jigokudani, meaning “Hell’s Valley”, …show more content…
Located at an elevation of 850 meters, you can access the park by walking a footpath of about 1.2 miles from the gate. You may encounter few Japanese macaques even on the way.
Once you enter the park, you can see the Snow Monkeys everywhere. Why do the monkeys come here? During the winter months, the Snow Monkeys, looking for warmth, descend from the forest to sit in the warm waters of the hot springs. They can be seen sitting in groups, grooming one another, relaxing in the warm waters. The best part about the Jigokudani Monkey Park is that the monkeys are not confined in any way. They are free to come and go. They are fed by the park authorities, which also attracts them to the park.
Another thing you realize when you visit this park is that the Snow Monkeys are comfortable around humans. They roam around, oblivious of your presence. Sometimes come up really close. Loved by photographers, researchers, animal lovers and tourists, they have the ease of a model posing before the cameras. How close can you get? Very close. Close enough to have them remove the lens cap from your camera! Surrounded by snow, hot springs, people feel amazing at this place. They get the opportunity to get close to these primates, observe their behaviour, see them relaxing, grooming themselves and their group member. You also get to see lots adorable infant macaques running around, and being cared for by their
The Japanese macaques, also known as the Snow Monkeys, are cute looking monkeys that are native to Japan. What makes them special? These are the only nonhuman primates to live in such a cold climate – they live where snow covers the ground for several months, which gives them the name ‘Snow Monkeys.’ While most monkeys in the world live in the areas within the tropics and subtropics, these primates live in cold regions where the temperature may dip as low as 14 degrees F in the winter months.
If you want to see these animals really up close, the place to visit is the Jigokudani Monkey Park in Japan. Located in the beautiful Yokoyugawa Valley, Nagano Prefecture, the park has been named Jigokudani, meaning “Hell’s Valley”, …show more content…
Located at an elevation of 850 meters, you can access the park by walking a footpath of about 1.2 miles from the gate. You may encounter few Japanese macaques even on the way.
Once you enter the park, you can see the Snow Monkeys everywhere. Why do the monkeys come here? During the winter months, the Snow Monkeys, looking for warmth, descend from the forest to sit in the warm waters of the hot springs. They can be seen sitting in groups, grooming one another, relaxing in the warm waters. The best part about the Jigokudani Monkey Park is that the monkeys are not confined in any way. They are free to come and go. They are fed by the park authorities, which also attracts them to the park.
Another thing you realize when you visit this park is that the Snow Monkeys are comfortable around humans. They roam around, oblivious of your presence. Sometimes come up really close. Loved by photographers, researchers, animal lovers and tourists, they have the ease of a model posing before the cameras. How close can you get? Very close. Close enough to have them remove the lens cap from your camera! Surrounded by snow, hot springs, people feel amazing at this place. They get the opportunity to get close to these primates, observe their behaviour, see them relaxing, grooming themselves and their group member. You also get to see lots adorable infant macaques running around, and being cared for by their