The Reason Why Some Japanese Monkeys Have Been Observed Riding Deer Is Quite Surprising (Pictures & Video)

Some Japanese monkeys, famed for enjoying hot baths in their snowy surroundings, have an unusual relationship with sika deer. Japanese monkeys, often known as macaques, have been seen riding on top of sika deer on several occasions (Cervus nippon yakushimae). In the Japanese woodlands, the two species coexist happily.

This tight bond benefits both parties: the deer consumes the seeds and fruits dropped by the macaques in exchange for the monkeys grooming and parasite removal from their four-legged buddies. A little ride is often included in the arrangement for the primates. The dynamics of this mutually beneficial interaction between the monkeys and the deer began to transform into a more sexual approach by the macaques, according to researchers. On Yakushima Island, Japan, in 2015, a low-ranking male monkey sought to mate with at least two separate female deer, which was one of the first occasions this behavior was documented by scientists. While one of the deer seemed unconcerned with the monkey executing sexual mounts on its back, the other shook the monkey off and bolted.