Luka, a seven-year-old Japanese macaque, has made his way back into his enclosure at Highland Wildlife Park near Aviemore after slipping out overnight, according to a national broadcaster's report. The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), which runs the park in the Cairngorms National Park, had launched a search after discovering he was missing, but staff now believe he climbed back in without human assistance. The incident echoes a similar escape by another macaque, Honshu, in January 2024.
RZSS said it does not yet know how Luka got out of his enclosure in the first place, despite fencing upgrades and revised management protocols introduced after the earlier escape.
How did the search for Luka unfold?
Search teams reported sighting Luka in the Balavil area of nearby Newtonmore and urged members of the public not to approach him directly, according to STV News. Staff also asked nearby residents to avoid leaving out bird feeders or food waste that might discourage him from returning to the park on his own, per the same broadcaster's report.
Drones fitted with thermal imaging cameras were deployed to track him, and one device reportedly kept him in view for around 45 minutes before he slipped out of sight again, according to the broadcaster. Keepers also circulated a public contact number, 07769165117, so locals could report sightings, according to STV News.
Darren McGarry, head of animal care at the park, explained that primate social structures can shift suddenly and unpredictably.
Primate group dynamics can be very complex and males being forced out of a group is not uncommon.
What happened during the 2024 escape?
Two years earlier, in January 2024, a macaque named Honshu escaped from the same park and remained on the loose for more than five days, apparently after a confrontation with other males in his group. He was eventually spotted in the garden of a nearby house and captured. RZSS said at the time the troop was in the midst of its breeding season, when tensions among males can run high, and Honshu may have fled to avoid a fight. He was later relocated to Edinburgh Zoo, a move RZSS described as giving him a fresh start, and according to The Independent, he was moved there specifically to begin building a new troop of his own.
Following that episode, RZSS said it strengthened enclosure fencing and introduced new management protocols aimed at preventing a repeat incident, according to a national broadcaster's earlier coverage. Luka's escape suggests those measures did not fully prevent the same outcome, though the exact cause remains unclear.
Escapes involving zoo and wildlife park animals have drawn public attention elsewhere in Britain in recent months. A search continues for Samba, a young capybara that fled near Marwell Zoo earlier this year, with drones and community volunteers involved in a similarly prolonged effort.
What happens next for Luka?
RZSS said it hopes Luka will settle back in with his family troop at the park, though no fixed timeline has been given for confirming this, according to the national broadcaster's report. At full maturity, a male Japanese macaque, sometimes called a snow monkey, reaches roughly the size of a medium-sized dog. When Honshu escaped in 2024, he had been part of a troop of 37 animals, and keepers said breeding-season tensions could sometimes trigger similar departures.
Key Facts
- Luka, a seven-year-old male Japanese macaque, escaped overnight from Highland Wildlife Park near Aviemore and returned to his enclosure unaided.
- He was sighted in the Balavil area of Newtonmore, and the public were asked not to approach him.
- A thermal-imaging drone tracked him for about 45 minutes before losing sight of him.
- In January 2024, a different macaque, Honshu, escaped the same park and was at large for more than five days before being moved to Edinburgh Zoo.
- RZSS said it does not yet know how Luka got out despite fencing improvements made after the 2024 incident.
