12/10/2004: Japanese "snow monkeys"

Undertoad · 12-10-2004, 11:05 AM

Happy Friday! These two live in Yamanouchi, central Japan. About 300 snow monkeys live there in the Nagano mountains, and when the weather is cold they bathe in an outside hot springs pool. Apparently they live in the wild but have this layer of interaction with the human world - where the humans build things for them, watch them, feed them, protect them etc. but don't cage them in, in the parkland where they live. They're a huge tourist attraction.

National Geographic article on them

Photo gallery of them

warch · 12-10-2004, 11:09 AM

I watched the Nagano olympics just to catch a glimpse of these guys. Ahhhhhhhh.

magilla · 12-10-2004, 12:10 PM

Funny, that's what I look like after sitting in a hot tub for 2 hours, too. Especially the red face.

Happy Monkey · 12-10-2004, 12:27 PM

I've always wondered - how do they get out of the pool without freezing?

ladysycamore · 12-10-2004, 12:57 PM

How beautiful and precious.

Clodfobble · 12-10-2004, 01:57 PM

I've seen Japanese snow monkeys in person--and not in Japan.

There's a tiny town somewhere between Austin and the border, called Dilly. There is a rich philanthropist who owns a ranch out there. Apparently, on one of his jaunts to Japan, he managed to bring home around 30 of these monkeys.

(The story goes that this particular group was being forced out of their habitat by some evil group or another, and that they were dying rapidly, so he was actually doing them a favor. But we'll never know if he really just tossed them in a sack and smuggled them through customs because he thought they'd make cute pets for all his spoiled nieces and nephews.)

Anyway, once they got back to the ranch, he let them run free over the land, but he underestimated the height the fences needed to be. So the snow monkeys went cavorting through town. Wacky hijinks ensued, of course. Car accidents were caused because they kept darting out into the road, they would overturn and dig through any trashcan they could find... basically every scene you can imagine coming straight out of a kids' movie (except the part where the monkeys wear clothes and talk.) Not to mention they bred like freaking rabbits.

It was hunting season, and no one had ever thought to add Japanese snow monkeys to the "endangered" list in Texas. That was, not coincidentally, about the time the story traveled farther than a 15-mile radius, and animal rescue groups were brought in to round them up.

Nowadays the fences on the ranch are a good 25 feet tall, and supposedly the monkeys are thriving. They've become an informal tourist attraction--anyone driving through can just ask a local where the snow monkeys live. That's what we did.

monkeyboy · 12-10-2004, 03:18 PM

More information on the primate sanctuary in Dilley, Texas can be found at http://www.snowmonkey.org/

BrianR · 12-10-2004, 03:44 PM

Welcome to the Cellar, monkeyboy.

garnet · 12-10-2004, 03:47 PM

I'm a sucker for monkeys! These guys are so cool--I'd love to see them in person.

xoxoxoBruce · 12-10-2004, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianR

Welcome to the Cellar, monkeyboy.

Ahem, what about Magilla?

Anyway, welcome Magilla.

I wonder if they pee in the pool?

wolf · 12-11-2004, 01:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianR

Welcome to the Cellar, monkeyboy.

Welcome indeed! Laugh while you can!!

capnhowdy · 12-11-2004, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Ahem, what about Magilla?

Anyway, welcome Magilla.

I wonder if they pee in the pool?

I'm sure if they did, their fur would turn purple.
I've heard this somewhere before: Isn't a smoking section in a restaraunt like a peeing section in a pool?

York · 12-12-2004, 02:30 AM

Well, thats some kind off hot-water source too i guess!

But that was also one thing i wondered about, how do they get out? Do they go and sit by their campfire? Do they stay in till spring? If i would be in a lake like that and got out, ill be runnin to my heater!

xoxoxoBruce · 12-12-2004, 04:26 PM

It looks like the hot springs warm the vicinity.

12-10-2004, 11:05 AM	#1
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	12/10/2004: Japanese "snow monkeys" Happy Friday! These two live in Yamanouchi, central Japan. About 300 snow monkeys live there in the Nagano mountains, and when the weather is cold they bathe in an outside hot springs pool. Apparently they live in the wild but have this layer of interaction with the human world - where the humans build things for them, watch them, feed them, protect them etc. but don't cage them in, in the parkland where they live. They're a huge tourist attraction. National Geographic article on them Photo gallery of them

12-10-2004, 12:27 PM	#4
Happy Monkey I think this line's mostly filler. Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: DC Posts: 13,575	I've always wondered - how do they get out of the pool without freezing? __________________ _________________ \|...............\| We live in the nick of times. \| Len 17, Wid 3 \| \|_______________\| [pics]

12-10-2004, 12:57 PM	#5
ladysycamore "I may not always be perfect, but I'm always me." Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: In Sycamore's boxers Posts: 1,341	How beautiful and precious. __________________ "Freedom is not given. It is our right at birth. But there are some moments when it must be taken." ~Tagline from the movie "Amistad"~ "The Akan concept of Sankofa: In order to move forward we first have to take a step back. In other words, before we can be prepared for the future, we must comprehend the past." From "We Did It, They Hid It"

12-10-2004, 03:44 PM	#8
BrianR Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 3,338	Welcome to the Cellar, monkeyboy. __________________ Never be afraid to tell the world who you are. -- Anonymous

12-12-2004, 04:26 PM	#14
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	It looks like the hot springs warm the vicinity. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump. Last edited by xoxoxoBruce; 04-07-2007 at 05:58 PM.

12-10-2004, 11:09 AM	#2
warch lurkin old school Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,796	I watched the Nagano olympics just to catch a glimpse of these guys. Ahhhhhhhh.

12-10-2004, 12:10 PM	#3
magilla Belt Conveyor Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 67	Funny, that's what I look like after sitting in a hot tub for 2 hours, too. Especially the red face.

12-10-2004, 01:57 PM	#6
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	I've seen Japanese snow monkeys in person--and not in Japan. There's a tiny town somewhere between Austin and the border, called Dilly. There is a rich philanthropist who owns a ranch out there. Apparently, on one of his jaunts to Japan, he managed to bring home around 30 of these monkeys. (The story goes that this particular group was being forced out of their habitat by some evil group or another, and that they were dying rapidly, so he was actually doing them a favor. But we'll never know if he really just tossed them in a sack and smuggled them through customs because he thought they'd make cute pets for all his spoiled nieces and nephews.) Anyway, once they got back to the ranch, he let them run free over the land, but he underestimated the height the fences needed to be. So the snow monkeys went cavorting through town. Wacky hijinks ensued, of course. Car accidents were caused because they kept darting out into the road, they would overturn and dig through any trashcan they could find... basically every scene you can imagine coming straight out of a kids' movie (except the part where the monkeys wear clothes and talk.) Not to mention they bred like freaking rabbits. It was hunting season, and no one had ever thought to add Japanese snow monkeys to the "endangered" list in Texas. That was, not coincidentally, about the time the story traveled farther than a 15-mile radius, and animal rescue groups were brought in to round them up. Nowadays the fences on the ranch are a good 25 feet tall, and supposedly the monkeys are thriving. They've become an informal tourist attraction--anyone driving through can just ask a local where the snow monkeys live. That's what we did.

12-10-2004, 03:18 PM	#7
monkeyboy secret agent monkey Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 3	More information on the primate sanctuary in Dilley, Texas can be found at http://www.snowmonkey.org/

12-10-2004, 03:47 PM	#9
garnet ... Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 657	I'm a sucker for monkeys! These guys are so cool--I'd love to see them in person.

12-12-2004, 02:30 AM	#13
York Operations Operative Join Date: May 2004 Location: Tienen , Belgium Posts: 537	Well, thats some kind off hot-water source too i guess! But that was also one thing i wondered about, how do they get out? Do they go and sit by their campfire? Do they stay in till spring? If i would be in a lake like that and got out, ill be runnin to my heater!

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