Highland Wildlife Park launches search for escaped Japanese macaque

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) has launched a search for Luka, a young Japanese macaque that escaped from the Highland Wildlife Park near Aviemore in the Cairngorms National Park. Search teams are utilizing various techniques, including thermal imaging drones, to locate the animal. Luka was reportedly last seen in the Balavil area of Newtonmore.

This is the second such incident at the park in recent months. In January 2024, another Japanese macaque named Honshu escaped for five days before being captured in a nearby garden and relocated to Edinburgh Zoo. Experts suggest that complex primate group dynamics, such as males being forced out of a troop, may be a factor in these escapes.

While the macaque is not considered dangerous, officials have advised the public not to approach him and to report any sightings via a dedicated contact number.