Japanese macaques in Nagano have learned to bathe in hot springs for warmth. Understanding their welfare in cold mountain environments reveals remarkable behavioral adaptation.
Snow monkey hot spring bathing illustrates the interplay between welfare, social rank, and learned cultural behavior. For those with access, soaking in the thermal springs during cold winters provides genuine thermal comfort and stress reduction. The exclusion of lower-ranking individuals from prime bathing spots means that social hierarchies create welfare inequalities within the troop. Human disturbance and tourism pressure at sites like Jigokudani can alter bathing behavior and increase stress in this normally shy species. Managing tourist access to protect natural behavior protects snow monkey welfare.