Who doesn't love babies - baby animals, baby humans - and I can assure you, you will fall in love with baby monkeys.
I cannot spend enough time sitting, photographing and watching these energetic little creatures.
The troops of wild Japanese macaque (popularly known as snow monkeys) inhabit the Jigokudani Yaen-koen (park) naturally through all ages.
To enable observation of the monkeys in a near-natural environment, they are controlled by feeding instead of by fences.
Wild Japanese macaque and humans coexist here in the junction of their separate spheres of activity.
I was taking a photograph on the bridge at the park, leaning next to the railing, when I felt a shove at my shoulder. Looking around I found the culprit – a baby monkey who obviously wanted to pass me, leisurely pushed me out of the way and made his or her way across the railing.
At Jigokudani Snow Park babies are in abundance, sitting on their mother’s backs, bathing in the Onsens or being frivolous and doing what babies do best – not a care in the world playing with their mates and running around causing havoc.
You will encounter Female Snow Monkeys and their young all over the park. The babies are looking for cuddles when they're not eating, running, bathing or playing.
Females give birth to a single infant every other year.
Pregnancy lasts about 180 days.
The mother will give birth during the night.
Each female will have around 10 babies in her lifetime.
And the results of this birthing process are these vivacious little monkeys that I have captured with my camera lens, below.
