Researchers at the University of Kyoto in Japan studied the "famous snow monkeys", known for bathing in hot springs. In a study published in the Primates newspaper, Rafaela SC Takeshita and her team analyzed macaque feces. A stress hormone in the samples revealed lower levels once the macaques had bathed in the hot springs. According to The New York Times , a young female bathed in a hotel pool in 1963, prompting the construction of a primate-only hot spring park.
Japanese macaques are used to hot springs that can reach 60ºC in the northern reaches of Japan.
