Highland Wildlife Park: Japanese macaque monkey's 'great escape' will hopefully have a happy ending – Scotsman comment

Japanese macaque, aka snow monkey, has been spotted snacking on bird feed in local people’s gardens

Snow monkeys are native to Japan where they famously enjoy bathing in hot springs (Picture: Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images)

The nation – and even, it seems, other parts of the world – has been gripped by the tale of a dashing monkey on the run from his zoo in the Highlands. The Japanese macaque, aka snow monkey, went over the perimeter fence at Highland Wildlife Park near Kingussie and has since been spotted helping himself to bird feed in gardens in nearby Kincraig.

It seems he decided to make an understandable bid for freedom amid high tensions within the zoo’s monkey enclosure. Keith Gilchrist, of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, said: ”This time of year is breeding season so tensions run a little bit high and sometimes fights break out over breeding rights. When that happens the animals’ adrenaline can sometimes over-ride everything and, rather than get into a fight, it seems this one has just gone for it.”

Keepers are patrolling the area in an attempt to find the fugitive and last night there was talk of bringing in a drone to aid the hunt. We hope the macaque’s ‘great escape’ has a happy ending.