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.

The authors point out, however, that none of the theories are mutually exclusive, and that this behavior might be a novel habit among Japanese monkeys. "Each of them might be responsible for a portion of the event," Gunst says. "We proposed that the monkey-deer sexual encounters described in our research might represent the early stages of a new Minoo behavioral tradition." Watch video: