JIGOKUDANI MONKEY PARK 36° 43’ 58.1” N 138° 27’ 45.7” E
-Snow Monkeys-
Let us move on to the subject for this tale: The Japanese macaque, the snow monkey, the macaca fuscata, a species of monkey native to Japan. Snow monkeys have a special place in the folklore and culture of Japan. They’re deemed to be wise and resourceful creatures and are seen as guardians of the mountains or as messengers of the gods. They’ve been depicted in traditional paintings, woodblock prints, and poetry for decades. And more recently, they’ve even found their way into contemporary Japanese pop culture, appear- ing in movies, television shows, and advertisements. Snow monkeys certainly have their appeal and are very visually distinctive. Their fur ranges in color from grayish-brown to yellowish-brown, which becomes thicker and more wooly in winter months, with a characteristic red face, especially in adult males. They have long, expressive faces with small ears, and their bodies are adapted for living on both the land and in trees. Adults typically weigh between 8 to 14 kilograms, reach speeds of up to 15 kph, and can withstand temperatures as low as –20 degrees Celsius. Snow monkeys are highly social animals and live in large troops of up to 100. They have a complex social structure with a hierarchy dominated by females. Male monkeys typically leave their natal troop upon reaching sexual maturity, while females often remain with their birth troop for life. Females give birth to a single offspring after a gestation period of 5 to 6 months. The infants are cared for by both their mothers and other members of the troop, and they’re weaned at around 6 to 12 months of age. As the common phrase goes, it takes a village to raise a child, and these monkeys uphold that concept today. As omnivores, they have a diet that includes fruits, seeds, leaves, insects, and occasionally small animals like birds or fish. They’re opportunistic feeders, which adds to their resilience of being able to adapt to changing circumstances. Snow monkeys are highly intelligent creatures that exhibit complex social behaviours, including grooming, vocalisations, and displays of aggression or submission. They’re known for their problem-solving abilities, often using tools such as sticks to extract food from hard-to-reach places. They also make snowballs and play with rocks to entertain themselves. These sociable, gentle, and compassionate creatures are hugely communicative, as indicated by their plethora of facial expressions that are surprisingly human. Other than racoons and humans, they are the only other species that wash their food before eating. This was a case of monkey see, monkey do and is now ingrained within their society. Snow monkeys primarily inhabit the forests of the Japanese islands, but have also been found in various other habitats, including mountainous regions and even urban areas. They are the only non-human primates known to do this regularly.
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MOTHER VOLUME THREE
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