The picture of a troop of monkeys soaking in a hot spring that's surrounded by a blanket of white snow is unforgettable and while i didn't manage to encounter that for real; i did see, with my very own eyes, the said monkey species in Maruyama Zoo!
Housed in a pit enclosure, there's also an observatory which functions as a resting place for visitors. In Singapore Zoo, a resting place is likely air-conditioned with a few vending machines selling expensive drinks but this one in Sapporo is even better.
Endemic to Japan, this particular Japanese monkey species actually doesn't exist in Hokkaido; according to the information panel, the species 'occurs from Yakushima Island, Kogoshima, in the south to Shimokita Peninsula, Aomori, in the north'.
Whatever the case, they are here at Maruyama Zoo even though the sight that greeted us wasn't too enthusiastic with monkeys that appeared listless and lethargic.
Maybe because the weather was a bit warm on the day we visited, it could have counted as the day Singaporeans would term as 'nua' day where we basically stay in the house the whole day to rest and do practically nothing.
The attempts to escape - should monkeys be as intelligent as humans, we might be able to see a Sylvester Stallone in the making; the 'escape plan' movie he starred in remained memorable.
Alex making full use of his binoculars; a rarity itself as he had that for about ten years and i can count with one hand, the number of times he brought it out.
Entering the observatory and resting place.
I mentioned vending machines and air-conditioning earlier for the zoo in Singapore; this one upped the game by providing rock climbing facility for kids!
Glass separating humans from the primates.
Only one, seemingly elderly, monkey was close to us and he didn't give a hoot to our existence.
Better view of the monkey mountain from the second level although without many monkeys in the premises, our interests waned after a while.
Most were hidden under the shade and on cool concrete flooring; without any simulating activity, many were focusing on just the picking of fleas / ticks.
Hm.... this piece of glass didn't seem safe; i can just imagine monkeys surrounding and subsequently attacking me if it were to crack under my feet! Maybe, it's only for the kids.
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Location
Maruyama Zoo, Miyagaoka 3 Banchi 1, Chuo-ku,
064-0959, Hokkaido, Japan
Nearest Subway Station
Maruyama Koen (Exit 3).
Walk about 15 minutes.
Website
Pricing
Entrance ticket to the zoo applies at 600 yen an adult.
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