Within a geothermal valley located in Nagano prefecture Japan you can find Jigokudani, home of the snow monkeys.
Covered in snow for more than a third of the year, This steep valley is laden with hot springs that vent stream, giving raise to its name Jigokudani or Hell valley. This seemingly inhospitable landscape has become the home of a special group of Japanese Macaque known commonly as “snow monkeys”. These Snow monkeys found a way to thrive in the region, and uniquely began to bathe in the hot springs throughout the year. This behaviour is only observed in this small region of the world and as such has made the Snow monkey’s of Japan a world famous attraction for tourists, scientists and locals alike.
Each day the snow monkeys descend into the valley from the security of the forests to forage for food and warm themselves in the hotsprings, however the hot springs are not open to all the troop. The luxury of soaking away the cold ond aches while being groomed of ticks and lice in the rejuvenating waters, is reserved for only a select few.
Snow monkeys, like many species that live in groups, adhere to a system of social hierarchy. Rank among the troop is first established at birth.
A newborn male will share his mother’s status until he grows old enough to leave the troop to venture off on his own, or, he may choose to remain and ensure the troop’s protection. A young female will also share her mother’s status at birth. However, both genders have the opportunity to move up or down within the social structure. Within the troop at Jigokudani, only the Monkey’s within the dominant group are permitted into the main bathing pool, which means that if you are in one of the lower groups, you will often be left out in the cold.
The Jigokudani Monkey Park lies within the natural territorial radius of a single troop of monkeys. With an estimated 150 to 160 monkeys in the troop, the monkeys come and go from the park as they please. While there is nothing forcing the monkeys to come to the park or stay once there, they are incentivized with a little food each day. Not enough to survive on. Just enough to draw them to the park and keep them interested.
Please note, visitors to the park are not allowed to feed the monkeys. What they are fed and the amount of food is controlled to avoid them becoming reliant on feeding at the park. The food carefully selected for its nutritional properties and as a supplement to the wild diet of the monkeys.
As the daylight draws to an end, and the temperatures in the valley begin to drop, the snow monkeys of Jigokudani, leave the warmth and relaxation of the hot springs and begin their trek back up the steep valley walls. where they go deep into the safety of the forest for the night.
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