Visit the Jigokudani Monkey Park Japan

“It took a while, but eventually a monkey jumped into the water, a few more following suit as the crowd cheered them on to “swim, swim, swim!” Maybe I’m alone here, but I did not know that monkeys swam. I was so surprised to see them dive down and glide under water, instead of just half-immerse their bodies while they hung onto the ledge. I could have watched them swim and splash each other all day long. They were especially amusing when they got out of the pool dripping wet, then shook their bodies to fling off the water.”

“I nodded in quiet disappointment as I stared out at the bleak scene ahead of me. Instead of a snow-covered paradise, I was standing in what felt like a construction site full of rubble, with piles of rocks and exposed cables forming a backdrop against the commotion. I watched in dismay as staff at the Jigokudani Monkey Park threw food at the agitated macaques until they began to screech and fight on the damp mud.”

“People and monkeys move around the steps and walkways freely. It wasn’t unusual to turn around and find a monkey right beside you. [...] I was aghast when a teenage girl standing right next to me stuck out her finger to touch the back of this monkey I was photographing. The monkey instantly let out a shriek of alarm and ran away. I’m not sure who was more shocked—the monkey or me!”