Japanese Macaque - Their Battles

The Japanese macaque is a terrestrial Old World monkey species that is native to Japan. They have become known as the snow monkey due to them being the most northern living nonhuman primate on Earth, well possibly except for the Abominable Snowman (haha); I have yet to photography this cryptid, and I am not trying, but the snowman has even been reported in Hokkaido Japan, and if he ever pops his head out during my annual Hokkaido Photo Tour, I will definitely take a snapshot or two and then share with everyone!

The Japanese macaque can be found on Japan's main island except for Hokkaido and the Southern Islands chain, and some smaller islands around Japan.  Jigokudani Yaenkoen was established in 1964 in the Jigokudani valley in Yamanouchi, at first, the hot springs pool were built for human use, but the monkeys took it over, and it soon became a local Japanese tourist hit and now a worldwide hit.  What most don't' know is that over 200 monkeys live in the region, in 3 separate large troops numbering about 50 monkeys per troop, and there are also several smaller troops. Only the strongest troop lay claim to the hot springs; it’s the prime real estate in the region!  And every few years, a different troop will claim the hot springs, in an epic bloody battle that usually takes place in the spring or early summer after the females have given birth when there is plenty of nourishment, and all in the troop are at full-strength for the coming campaign.  Even during winter, when food is scarce, there are small marauding groups from different troop factions; they try to mate with females or take food, but there are sentries posted, and you sometimes can hear monkeys scream at non-troop members, and sometimes you can see the odd winter skirmish.