Honorable Mention / 2022 / Nature / Wildlife

Paradise

A place of paradise for the Japanese Snow Monkey. They are free to come and go as they please with no fences. What they do have is their own onsen (water, water vapor, that emerges out of the earth at least 25 degrees and is full of certain minerals). I was able to capture these Snow Monkeys in their natural environment doing what they do which includes family, grooming, eating, fighting, playing, bathing, and relaxing. females and children bathe in the onsen as the males believe they are too manly. Also after their soak, they do not lose their heat for the rest of the day.