A thermal imaging drone is being used in the search for a Japanese macaque that escaped from the Highland Wildlife Park, more than two years after a similar incident.
The young male macaque, named Luka, escaped from his habitat at the park near Aviemore overnight, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) said on Monday. He was last seen in the Balavil area, and search teams are out looking for the missing animal.
Search efforts under way
Darren McGarry, head of animal care at RZSS, which runs the park, said: “We are doing everything we can to locate the macaque using a variety of techniques in the local area including a thermal imaging drone.
“Primate group dynamics can be very complex and males being forced out of a group is not uncommon.
“Although the macaque is not dangerous, our advice is members of the public should not approach him and to contact 0776 9165117 with any details of a sighting.”
Similar escape in 2024
Luka’s escape comes after another Japanese macaque, named Honshu, found a way out of his enclosure at the park in January 2024. He spent five days roaming the Highlands before a member of the public spotted him snacking at a bird feeder in a garden in the local area.
Honshu was captured and returned to the park and was later moved to Edinburgh Zoo to give him a fresh start. Japanese macaques are also known as snow monkeys.
