Indeed a Hot Spring Country: Monkeys Soaking in Private Bathtubs, Completely Alone from Tourists
We all know that Japan is a true hot spring country. It has abundant geothermal resources, and many tourists visit Japan's various regions every winter to take a hot spring bath. And when we take a hot spring bath, we will also find many monkeys soaking in the hot spring. In fact, monkeys bathing in hot springs has become very normal in Japan. In some places, monkeys can even bathe in private bathtubs, completely alone from visiting tourists. This is very common in Jigokudani Monkey Park.
Jigokudani Monkey Park is named for its natural hot springs. Here, most Japanese macaques spend their time relaxing in their own private hot tubs. However, for the snow monkeys of Jigokudani, life is not always easy. In the 1950s, due to the development of nearby ski resorts, they were initially forced to leave their habitat. Subsequently, they moved to nearby towns, causing some trouble. They stole fruit from local farmers, and the farmers appealed to the government, which granted them hunting animal rights.
It is said that in 1957, the managers of nearby Japanese hotels began to feed these animals and recruited researchers from the Primate Research Institute of Kyoto University to take care of them. Later, a customer visited the Japanese hotel, including a private outdoor hot spring. As a result, accidentally, an apple fell into the hot spring. At that time, a young monkey jumped into the hot spring and began to enjoy the comfortable feeling brought by the hot spring. Other monkeys saw this and began to imitate. Within a few months, all female monkeys began to bathe in the hot spring.
For this situation, many Japanese investors began to eagerly strive and established Jigokudani Monkey Park in 1964. Today, it is the main habitat of the monkeys, and all the monkeys in the park can freely and peacefully soak in the dedicated hot springs. Later, to let more tourists know the Japanese-unique scene of monkeys bathing in hot springs, this park was formally opened to the public.
So why do snow monkeys like to bathe in hot springs? It's not just because bathing in hot springs can heat their bodies or because they like to jump around for apples. The main reason is that, like Japanese and foreign tourists, they seem to like the stress-relieving properties of hot springs, which can relieve their tension. These monkeys are also indifferent to tourists visiting the park every day, completely immersed in their own enjoyment. It is the peak season, with the continuous increase of tourists, the monkeys will also freely soak in the hot springs in the park.
Have you ever seen monkeys bathing in hot springs? How do you view this phenomenon? Welcome to leave a comment in the comment area.
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