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Japanese Yaku macaques gather around a bonfire in winter
CGTN

Photos captured a group of Japanese Yaku macaques huddled around a bonfire to stay warm at the the Japan Monkey Center. Setting a bonfire for the monkeys is an annual ritual which has been held for the past 61 years. According to the NHK, the center doesn't intend to stop the ritual this year, despite the coronavirus. " I want you to warm your heart by seeing the warming of monkeys," said by a breeding technician, Mr. Akira Funahashi.

Japanese Yaku macaques gather around a bonfire at Japan Monkey Center in Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Dec. 20, 2020. /VCG

Japanese Yaku macaques gather around a bonfire at Japan Monkey Center in Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Dec. 20, 2020. /VCG

Japanese Yaku macaques gather around a bonfire at Japan Monkey Center in Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Dec. 20, 2020. /VCG

Japanese Yaku macaques gather around a bonfire at Japan Monkey Center in Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Dec. 20, 2020. /VCG

Japanese Yaku macaques gather around a bonfire at Japan Monkey Center in Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Dec. 20, 2020. /VCG

Japanese Yaku macaques gather around a bonfire at Japan Monkey Center in Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Dec. 20, 2020. /VCG

(Cover image via VCG)

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