Fluffy Japanese macaques monkey around in the mountain snow

They look like a cuddly ball of fluff and they certainly seem equipped for the cold. And these fun-loving Japanese macaque monkeys certainly seem to enjoy aping around in the snow.

A photographer caught the joyous moments the troop of monkeys enjoyed a snow day in the mountains.

Leaping over each other, chasing and quick-stepping over the cold flakes, the macaques mesmerised wildlife enthusiast Masashi Mochida.

The amateur photographer captured the almost child-like antics of the monkeys in their snow bound playground in the mountains of Japan.

Hot springs in the region mean the group can survive the low temperatures and even find time to fool around.

Masashi, 40, from Tokushima, Japan, took the pictures over three months this winter during time off from his job as a civil engineer.

Masashi said he took the photos at the Jigokudani Monkey Park, which is located in Yamanouchi Town, in the mountainous Nagano Prefecture, or county.

At the time the Monkey Park was opened, each was known by a different name such as Torikbuto or Mozu.

But for observation purposes they have been given names that combine their mother's name with year of birth, such as Mozu91