naturepl.fr E - I FUKUDA Yukihiro

E - I - FUKUDA Yukihiro (48) More files...

Japanese macaques are famous for their love of hot spas in winter, but photographer Yukihiro Fukuda is the first to document their journey throughout the rest of the year.

Fukuda spent twelve months in the field photographing the macaques in Japan's Jigokudani Valley, where snow covers the ground for one third of the year. His images reveal what happens to the world's most northerly primates after the snow melts - from spring among the cherry blossoms to mating season in the autumn forest.

Fukuda trained as a vet before turning his hand to nature photography and has been documenting macaques in Japan for over eight years. His images have been highly commended in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.

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Japanese macaque / Snow monkey {Macaca fuscata} female and young huddle together on rock in autumn woodland, Jigokudani, Nagano, Japan

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Yukihiro Fukuda / Japanese macaque / Snow monkey {Macaca fuscata} female and young huddle together on rock in autumn woodland, Jigokudani, Nagano, Japan

Japanese macaque / Snow monkey {Macaca fuscata} male displays in tree hoping to attract female for mating, Jigokudani, Nagano, Japan

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Yukihiro Fukuda / Japanese macaque / Snow monkey {Macaca fuscata} male displays in tree hoping to attract female for mating, Jigokudani, Nagano, Japan

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Yukihiro Fukuda / Japanese macaque / Snow monkey {Macaca fuscata} monkey in autumn woodland, Jigokudani, Nagano, Japan

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Yukihiro Fukuda / Japanese macaque / Snow monkey {Macaca fuscata} bathing in river in autumn, Jigokudani, Nagano, Japan

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Yukihiro Fukuda / Japanese macaque / Snow monkey {Macaca fuscata} male grooming female in courtship in autumn, Jigokudani, Nagano, Japan

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Yukihiro Fukuda / Japanese macaque / Snow monkey {Macaca fuscata} female with young in autumn woodland, Jigokudani, Nagano, Japan

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Yukihiro Fukuda / Japanese macaque / Snow monkey {Macaca fuscata} young monkey amongst autumn foliage, Jigokudani, Nagano, Japan

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Yukihiro Fukuda / Japanese macaque / Snow monkey {Macaca fuscata} male yawning - threatening display, Jigokudani, Nagano, Japan

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Yukihiro Fukuda / Japanese macaque / Snow monkey {Macaca fuscata} feeding on pine nuts in autumn, Jigokudani, Nagano, Japan

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Yukihiro Fukuda / Japanese macaque / Snow monkey {Macaca fuscata} feeding on seeds of the Bittersweet plant, Jigokudani, Nagano, Japan

Japanese macaque / Snow monkey {Macaca fuscata} five-month-old young searching for food amongst fallen leaves in autumn woodland, Jigokudani, Nagano, Japan

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Yukihiro Fukuda / Japanese macaque / Snow monkey {Macaca fuscata} five-month-old young searching for food amongst fallen leaves in autumn woodland, Jigokudani, Nagano, Japan

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Yukihiro Fukuda / Japanese macaque / Snow monkey {Macaca fuscata} feeding on seeds of the Bittersweet plant, Jigokudani, Nagano, Japan