Behind the Image

When ‘hell’ freezes over, Japanese macaques take long, hot baths – showing that it’s not just humans that need their creature comforts.

Snow monkeys just love a long hot bath

T he local name ‘Hell Valley’ deters few tourists from hiking up the steep slopes of Jigokudani Yaen-koen, in Japan’s Nagano prefecture. Because this is the only place in the world where you can enjoy close-up views of wild Japanese macaques – also known as snow monkeys – bathing in the steamy warmth of a volcanic spring.

Japanese macaques are the world’s most northerly non-human primates. They have lived in these mountains for centuries, but it wasn’t until 1963 that one particular troop discovered thermal waters, which bubble at a toasty 30oC, as a means of escaping the chill of their high-altitude home. The monkeys had become regulars at a spa hotel, attracted to food offered as a diversion from nearby orchards, when a young female took a chance dip. Her peers soon followed suit, prompting construction of their very own pool.

Magic moment

Jasper knew these monkeys well. One day, their pool was empty. The water was inky black, mist hung in the air and snow was falling thick and fast. “Suddenly, an individual appeared,” recalls Jasper. “It hopped onto a rock jutting squarely out of the water, as if flying through space on a magic carpet. Because of their crop-raiding behaviour, these monkeys are often seen as pests. I hope that this image – part of a semi-anthropomorphic series of portraits – will give a voice to these intelligent but misunderstood animals.”

The macaques have even adapted to their new aquatic environment. Researchers from Kyoto University have discovered that higher-ranking females take longer baths and produce fewer stress hormones than those who refrain from swimming. It seems that humans aren’t the only animals that take a long, hot soak to unwind.