Photos posted on the sheriff's department Facebook page show a deputy kneeling on the ground before the tutu-clad monkey approached and grabbed his hands ... storm packing snow and ice hit ...

In nature, Japanese macaques, also known as snow monkeys, are hardy creatures ... which is why it can take months of leading the monkey by its hands until the animal starts doing this on command.

The snow monkeys are one of several groups of Japanese ... I crouched in front of a female macaque, who gripped a rock with both hands and plunged her hindquarters underwater.