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This is one of the most bizarre wildlife photos I have ever seen! This is a wild macaque riding a sika deer!

In the words of Primatologist Cédric Sueur: “My favorite behavior is that of a macaque riding on the backs of Sika deer. There is a close cooperation between macaques and deer on Yakushima island. The deer eat seeds dropped by macaques on the ground, as well as their feces. Macaques may groom the deer for parasites such as lice, which are rich in proteins. At times, macaques will climb on the back of a deer for transportation. They don’t travel the kinds of distances humans do on horseback, but the similarity is there.”

Photo Credit: Alexandre Bonnefoy.