Page 42 - Atlas Of The World's Strangest Animals

42 ATLAS OF THE WORLD’S STRANGEST ANIMALS

Many mammals live in highly structured groups, many as 10 sexual partners during the year. It’s not just
dominated by a single male, who has exclusive breeding their attitude to sex that makes macaque society unusual,
rights with the females. He earns these rights by either. Both males and females take turns to care for the
competing with other males, and once he’s made it to young and even grandparents will get involved and step
the top he must spend the rest of his life defending his in to feed and look after babies who have been abandoned
position from challengers. It’s a brutal system and one or orphaned.
that macaques have managed to side-step. Despite this, life in a macaque troop isn’t always peaceful
These appealing, red-faced monkeys are unusual in that, and co-operative! Just like in the human world, some
within their tightly knit troops, males and females have an macaques are more successful than others.The bathing
almost equal relationship. Most troops have a ratio of four monkeys of Jigokudani (Hell’s Valley) Monkey Park have a
females per male, and it’s the females who choose when better quality of life than the macaques who live on the
and with whom they want to mate.What’s more, outskirts of the cities, where food is scarce and
macaques seem to enjoy sex for its own sake! Members of competition for resources is intense. In these troops,
the troop mate all year round, not just in the breeding lifespans are shorter, illness is rife and aggression between
season, and it’s not uncommon for a female to have as troop members is more common. Individual monkeys

Winters in northern Japan can be bitterly cold. Fortunately, Almost 50 years ago, macaques in Jigokudani (Hell’s Valley)
macaques have learnt that hot springs are an ideal way to keep were lured by food to the hot, volcanic springs that give the
out a chill. area its name.

The troop quickly leant to appreciate both the free food and Despite its remote location, 90,000 human visitors also trek
the warm waters and have visited the site every day since, through the woods to catch a glimpse of these famous,water-
returning to the safety of the forests at night. loving primates.

(c) 2011 Marshall Cavendish. All Rights Reserved.