The first drone images of an escaped Japanese snow monkey have been captured, showing the animal strolling through the forest just 300 meters from the park.
After four days on the run, the primate, nicknamed Kingussie Kong, managed to evade recapture after breaking out of his enclosure at Highland Wildlife Park, Kingussie, on Sunday morning.
Keepers said the Japanese macaque is slowly approaching the park, and although they were able to follow the macaque for 45 minutes on Tuesday using drones, it was not in a position from which they could retrieve it.
Now images have emerged of the monkey, also known as the Japanese macaque, making its way through undergrowth in the woods of Inverness-shire, just meters from the park.
A series of images show the monkey enjoying its wild surroundings. In one he sits comfortably and looks around him, before taking a leisurely walk through the trees, while in another he is seen reflecting in the deep undergrowth.
The first drone images of an escaped Japanese snow monkey have been captured, showing the animal strolling through the forest just 300 meters from the park.
A series of images show the monkey enjoying its wild surroundings.
A source at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which owns the park, said a drone collected images at the end of its search on Tuesday afternoon, just before darkness fell.
He said: “They watched it for about 45 minutes but they weren’t in a position to release the monkey safely so they decided not to, and then the light went out and they had to call off the search for the night.” ‘
But with a Met Office yellow warning for strong winds on Wednesday and possible gusts of up to 85mph, the weather conditions will mean using the drones is not possible, although the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) said the search will continue.
Keith Gilchrist, live collections operations manager at Highland Wildlife Park, said: “After continued help from @bhwildlifeconsultancy, we were able to follow the macaque for 45 minutes using drones yesterday.
“Unfortunately, it wasn’t in a position where we were confident we could bring it in safely, but it’s getting close to the park.”
‘Our team will go out again today, but due to the strong winds we will not be able to fly the drones, but we will use thermal imaging cameras.
‘We continue to ask locals to bring any obvious potential food sources, such as bird feeders or food waste, indoors.
“Although the macaque is not presumed to be dangerous to humans or pets, our advice is not to approach it, but to contact our hotline on 07933 928377 if you see it.”
A zoo team is searching for the animal and the public has been warned not to approach it.
A source added that there had been a so far unconfirmed sighting this morning, adding: “If it’s accurate then it’s still close to the park so fingers crossed it makes it back in.”
Keepers have also been patrolling the area where the monkey was seen, but their efforts to capture it have so far been in vain.
It is breeding season in the park and the animal is believed to have escaped from its enclosure around 7am on Sunday after challenging another primate.
Since then there have been several sightings, one of the first in the nearby village of Kincraig, where it was seen stealing from garden bird feeders.
However, over the four days, they’ve seen him closer to home, and the goalies are optimistic he’s heading home.
The source said: “We don’t know what a macaque’s homing instinct is, but at its furthest point it was 4km away and now it appears to have reached 300m from the park, so it suggests we should have an idea of that this is their home.” ‘
The keepers also hoped that when it hears a whistle they use to attract the macaque troop at feeding time, it will hear it and attract it back to the enclosure.
Staff hope the animal, known for its intelligence, can realize that the fence is only electrified on the inside and can safely re-enter.
And in case he returns of his own volition, there will be five daily counts instead of the usual two.
Snow monkeys are the northernmost non-human primates in the world and are well acclimated to sub-zero temperatures. In the wild, they will huddle together for warmth in winter in sleeping places and soak in hot springs to keep warm.
Mountain rescue team member Jonny Porteous uses drone to search for escaped monkey
A couple who saw the monkey in their backyard at the weekend described the experience as “very surreal.”
Carl Nagle, 49, and his partner Tiina Salzberg, 50, spotted the monkey from their patio doors in Kincraig, near Kingussie, on Sunday morning.
It munched on the nuts in his bird feeder and perched on his garden fence for about 15 minutes before fleeing.
Ms Salzberg, chief strategy officer at a marketing consulting firm, said: “We were watching in amazement at how out of place it is to see a Japanese snow monkey in a village garden in the middle of nowhere.”
“It was absolutely wild, we were both elbowing each other trying to get each other out of the way so we could get the best camera and video angles.
“It was amazing, once in a lifetime I’m sure.”
Mr Nagle said: “It’s most surreal. I’ve seen snow monkeys in the wild, but you don’t expect to see them in your back garden in the Highlands.”