There is a place in Austria where you can observe Japanese Macaques leading their lives in a free-roaming environment. The place is called Monkey Mountain in Landskron Affenberg.
I have been there with my family during our vacation. We had to go there twice because the weather was so rainy for the first time that I was scared to take my precious camera with me.

I tried to capture portraits of those very human creatures. I enjoyed just standing there and watching them just like watching children playing.

 

Currently there are 93 monkeys there. There is a big area for visitors who can walk only on the pavement with the guide and an other only for the monkeys to rest when they are tired watching us.

The Monkey Mountain is completely private enterprise – as they emphasize it on their Web site and leaflet as well – and financed with the proceeds from ticket sales, souvenirs and drinks. They do not receive any public subsidies or government aid.

The slide show of my pictures is available here.