Japanese snow monkeys are learning to have sex with sika deer say experts

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Monkeys have been observed having sex with deer in what scientists believe could be a new behavioural tradition.

Researchers first spotted a male Japanese macaque and female sika deer interacting earlier this year and they are now convinced the behaviour is sexual after watching adolescent females and stags at Minoo, Japan.

Dr Noëlle Gunst-Leca, co-author of the study from the University of Lethbridge in Canada said: 'The monkey-deer sexual interactions reported in our paper may reflect the early stage development of a new behavioural tradition at Minoo.'

Sexual interactions between closely related species uncommon but not unheard of and have been observed in a wide range of animals such as fish and baboons, according to the Guardian.

But the only other known instance of it occurring between distant species is the sexual assault of king penguins by Antarctic fur seals.

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