A monkey that escaped from a zoo in the Scottish Highlands is set to be hunted down by drones as staff warn members of the public not to approach it.
The Japanese macaque is on the loose after it found a way out of its enclosure at the Highland Wildlife Park in Kingussie yesterday.
The monkey was reportedly sighted in the nearby village of Kincraig, hanging onto garden fences and taking nuts from a bird feeder.
A team has been formed in an attempt to recapture the animal, according to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), which runs the park.
The Japanese macaque is on the loose after it found a way out of its enclosure at the Highland Wildlife Park in Kingussie
Facebook/ Highland Wildlife ParkIn a statement yesterday, Darren McGarry, head of living collections at RZSS said: "We can confirm one of our Japanese macaques escaped from its enclosure this morning.
"Our charity has set up a team who are working to secure the monkey safely and as quickly as possible.
He has now added in a statement today: “A team of our charity’s expert keepers are patrolling the village today in order to locate and return the macaque that escaped yesterday.
"We are asking anyone who spots him to please call 07933928377 or email comms@rzss.org.uk with information.
"Although we don’t expect the monkey to be a threat to the public or pet animals, he should not be approached.
"We are doing everything we can to locate the macaque and are in talks with a drone company to help in this process.
"Locals are being encouraged to bring in any food that is kept outside, such as food waste bins and bird feeders to encourage the monkey to return to the park once he is hungry."
According to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Japanese macaques - also known as the snow monkey - are the most northerly living non-human primate.
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Macaques live in large social groups known as troops, which have a strict dominance hierarchy.
It is understood staff have already been called to a number of homes, but the monkey had run off by the time a ranger arrived.
One resident, Carl Nagle said he woke up this morning to his daughter shouting: "Dad! There's a monkey on the street!"
"It was 11am, I was just having a chilled Sunday morning," he told Press and Journal.
"We went outside the house and there it was in the garden. It was amazing.
"A juvenile Japanese snow monkey that we've seen many times at the wildlife park, sitting next to my fence eating nuts that have fallen from my bird feeders.
"It wandered back and forth and ran around the garden a little before returning to have a good go at another feeder.
"Then he made his way onto the roof of an outdoor sauna before disappearing into the trees, just before the keepers from the park appeared to try and catch him."
