#6 AWJI Love 💖 Gaze of Taro

No. 1 Beloved Character✨

"Taro-san"
He is on the larger side among the Awaji monkeys and loves to eat.
With his round body and the way he wiggles his hips slightly when he walks, and his signature evening dessert time routine—leaning forward from the roof to peek down and desperately stretching out both hands to beg for dessert—he is a very popular "No. 1 beloved character" among Awaji monkey fans.

This time, let's look at "Taro-san" on February 14, 2023...

Quiz✨ What was Taro-san doing at this time?

Well, did you figure out the answer?
If you know it, you are quite theAwaji monkey lover.

One more photo before the answer reveal📷

The answer was✨ "He was watching the monkeys in front of him".

The one Taro-san was watching was the troop's second-in-command (No. 2), Chounan-san.
The one Chounan-san is sticking to is likely the female Kitora-san and her child.

By the way, why was Taro-san watching Chounan-san and the others?

As I wrote last time (#5), February is the "love season" (mating season) for monkeys.
I don't know if Chounan-san and the others were in love at this time, but Chounan-san was glued to Kitora-san. Whenever she moved, he was constantly following her.

And the one who was further following Chounan-san and the others was our protagonist for this time, "Taro-san".
At this time, I think he was curious about Chounan-san's movements and was watching from nearby.

I myself was curious about Taro-san, so I was watching from nearby as well.

It seems Taro-san has fallen in love with the same female as the troop's No. 2
...it seems.

Just like a detective✨

Even after seeing the two of them together right in front of me, Taro-san's tailing continued.
When they changed locations and Chounan-san started grooming Kitora and her child, Taro-san sat behind them so as not to be in their line of sight, and while grooming himself, he would occasionally check their movements.

It was a brilliant camouflage that made it seem like he wasn't following them, not just to Chounan-san, but to the other monkeys as well.
He started to look a bit like a detective.

Time has passed further to '16:28'

They are sitting at an exquisite distance from each other again.

Detective 'Stakeout Taro'is born✨

This time is the relaxation period after the evening meal and before returning to the mountains.
A monkey, thought to be Kitora, has started to be groomed by another female.
Of course, Chounan does not leave.

As soon as Chounan started grooming the female, Taro seemed to notice immediately.

After about 20 seconds, he started walking as if he had decided something, and approached Chounan and the others.

After walking about four steps from where he was sitting, his feet stopped for a moment.
As if to release the tension, he scratched his bottom with his right hand, then took one last step forward and sat down next to the female.

Luckily,Chounan has not noticed him yet.
He took the plunge and brought his face close to the female who was grooming, and began to stare intently at her hands.
At this point, he can no longer be called 'Stakeout Taro'.

He looks just like a trainee eagerly learning how to groom.
It started to look like he had switched his strategy to 'undercover investigation'.

Looking closely, Taro seemed to be moving his lips very finely while keeping his mouth closed.
I am an amateur so I don't know, but is this behavior also a sign of tension?

During this time, Chounan seemed to be focused on grooming the female he likes and did not notice Taro's approach at all, butthe moment he stopped his hands and looked up, he noticed Taro in front of him.

Taro quickly dodges the 'Huh?' look from Chounan.
It feels like he was lightly checked by the No. 2 of the troop, but when Chounan resumed grooming, Taro's grooming training resumed as well.

After about 10 seconds, Chounan stood up.

Since Taro, who should have been checked, did not leave the spot, it seems he is going to check him again.
From this behavior, it is inferred that Chounan considers Taro a 'love rival'.

Chounan pushed his way between the female being groomed and Taro.

He immediately started grooming as if to show off to Taro, but perhaps Taro, who had started staring intently at his own hands, didn't like it, so he lightly brushed him away with his left hand.

Taro received his third warning from Chonan-san, and let out a short "Kyat" sound.
"I've been completely found out!"
As if resigned, he turned around and changed where he was sitting.

💖No. 2 is fired up✨

In contrast to the resigned Taro was Chonan-san.
"I can't lose to someone younger than me!"Perhaps thinking that, he became wary of Taro who had moved, and acted immediately.

Chonan-san, who sat down right in front of Taro as if to spite him.I couldn't see his face from the front, but it was as if I could hear words of resignation from Taro's back saying, "You don't have to go that far, I already understand perfectly well~."

After this, when the female Kitora-san and the others started heading toward the mountain, Chonan-san followed, and Taro followed them at a distance, and everyone returned to the mountain.

The fact that the truth is unknown is also part of the charm✨

At the time of observation, seeing Taro unable to defy No. 2 made me feel an indescribable sense of sadness, but looking back on it calmly after some time has passed, I sometimes think,
"Taro, did you actually have feelings for Chonan-san?"
Also, Chonan-san's movements after he started feeling competitive toward Taro are easy to understand and interesting.

I don't know the true feelings of everyone who is likely in love, but I think that not knowing is what makes observing the monkeys fun.

You can also watch YouTube Live and Instagram from our website.