Smiles Of Japan

日本の今を伝え続けたトラベルボランティア


>> P.71

NATUREDAY34OCTOBER17THJIGOKUDANIMONKEYPARK,NAGANOSEPARATEMACAQUE-ONLYSPAWASBUILTFURTHERINTOTHEVALLEY.THESEXESCANMIXINTHEANIMALWORLD,BUTTHERULEABOUTBEINGNAKEDISASSTRICTASEVER.AFTERCHARGINGALONG2KMOFFORESTPATH,BENEATHMOREOFTHOSESTUNNING AUTUMNCOLOURS,WEBYPASSEDTHEHUMANOPTIONANDIMMEDIATELYSOUGHTOUTOURFURRYFRIENDS.THEYWEREN’THARDTOFIND,INANDAROUNDALITTLESTEAMINGBATHINADRAMATICVALLEYWITHPINETREESALLAROUND.WEWEREN’TDISAPPOINTED–ATLEASTNOTWITHTHEMONKEYS.ASALWAYSTHEYWEREALITTLEFRIGHTENING,ALITTLETOOHUMAN,ANDALOTOFFUN.AND,DESPITETHEWARMAUTUMNAIR,SOMEOFTHEMWEREINTHEHOTSPRING.WHICHWASABITWEIRD.FIRSTLYTHEYDIDN’TLOOKVERYRELAXED:ALLTHATFURONAWARMDAY,WITHHOTWATER...ITMUSTHAVEBEENLIKEONEOFTHOSECHARITYMASOCHISTSRUNNINGAMARATHON.BUTUNLIKEASWEATYMANINAGIANTPANDAOUTFIT,THEMONKEYSWEREN’TREALLYDOINGITTHROUGHCHOICE,BUTRATHERBECAUSETHEYNEEDFOODTOFATTENUPBEFORETHEWINTERCOMES.NOTFOODTHATHADACCIDENTALLYBEENDROPPEDBYATOURIST,EITHER,BUTHANDFULSOFWHATLOOKEDLIKEPELLETSTHATHADBEENTHROWNINTHEWATERBYAPARKEMPLOYEE. “DON’TFEEDTHEMONKEYS”SAYSTHESIGN,NOTINCLUDING:“BECAUSEWEALREADYDO.”BUTTHISISN’TAZOO.THEMACAQUESAREFREETOLEAVEATANYTIME–ANDKATYANDIAREDARTINGAROUNDTHECOUNTRYACCEPTINGFREEFOODANDFREESPASWHENEVERWECAN.ISTHISMUCHDIFFERENT?WHATEVERYOURTHOUGHTS,NOWTHEMONKEYSHANGAROUNDTHEONSENALLYEAR,WAITINGFORAHAND-OUTANDFIGHTINGVICIOUSLYWHENITCOMES.THEY’REMODIFYINGTHEIRBEHAVIOUR.ONCEAGAIN,THEY’REBEINGSHOWNWHATTODO.


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