Atsuyuki Ohshima (Japan) quickly framed an unusual interaction as a macaque jumped on a deer.
A sudden movement behind the sika stag caught Atsuyuki’s eye. In an instant, using a tree as a springboard, a young Yakushima macaque jumped onto the deer’s back. Looking up momentarily, the deer, unconcerned, went back to eating the fungi at its feet. Atsuyuki quickly framed the interaction.
The rodeo riding of deer by monkeys is rare, but not unheard of. Young male macaques have been seen clinging to female deer and trying to mate with them. In this case, however, the macaque was a young female, appearing just to be enjoying a free ride. After a while, the deer twitched its body, causing the macaque to jump off and wander on its way.
Japan
Atsuyuki was born and raised in Japan’s mountainous Nagano-Prefecture. His recent work as a wildlife photographer has focused on the Japanese macaque and he’s travelled the whole of Japan from Yakushima Island in the south to Shimokita Peninsula in the north to photograph them. He also regularly takes part in Japan Pilgrimage, a project which finds hidden villages, nature or culture.
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