Updated: 07/02/2025 – 16:10 GMT+1
Japan’s hot spring macaques in Jigokudani Park draw record crowds, with 257,000 visitors last year, 60% of them international.
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Tourists flock to see the macaques bathe in natural hot springs to survive the cold, but concerns about the animals’ welfare are rising. Visitors sometimes violate park rules by touching or feeding the monkeys.
While tourism has boosted park finances, it has also led to injuries and challenges with crowd control, raising worries about the monkeys’ well-being.