Monkey hunt as macaque goes on the run after escaping from wildlife park

Staff at Highland Wildlife Park urged the public not to approach the monkey

A monkey is on the loose after escaping from a wildlife park in the Scottish Highlands.

The Japanese macaque found a way out of its enclosure at Highland Wildlife Park near Kingussie on Sunday morning.

The slippery simian, nicknamed Kingussie Kong, has been spotted nicking nuts from neighbour’s bird feeders before giving zookeepers the runabout around the neighbourhood.

The monkey is one of 34 Japanese macaques at Highland Wildlife Park. (Highland Wildlife Park)

Staff at the park, run by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), urged the public not to approach the primate.

Have you spotted the missing macaque? Email Barney.Davis.Ind@Independent.co.uk

Carl Nagle, 49, was woken abruptly on a “chilled” Sunday morning by his daughter screaming: “Dad! There’s a monkey on the street!”

He told The 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.”

A Japanese macaque is on the loose after escaping from a wildlife park in Scotland (Alamy/PA)

“It wandered back and forth and ran around the garden a little before returning to have a good go at another feeder.”

The Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata), also known as the snow monkey because of their ability to survive in colder temperatures, have lost their fear of humans as populations grow in urban areas.

In 2022 the city of Yamaguchi experienced aggression from a gang of monkeys with at least 50 people attacked. Most were scratched or bitten.

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.

“If members of the public encounter the macaque they should contact comms@rzss.org.uk with more information and do not approach it.”

The wildlife park houses a “large group” of Japanese macaques after successfully breeding the species.