Luka, a five-year-old Japanese macaque, slipped out of his enclosure at the Highland Wildlife Park near Aviemore overnight on August 16, setting off a day-long search across the Cairngorms National Park. By the afternoon of August 17, he had solved the case himself, wandering back into his own habitat without a tranquilizer dart or a single staff member in pursuit.
Keepers at the park, run by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, discovered Luka missing during a routine check and last placed him in the Balavil area outside the park boundary. Search teams combed nearby woodland and fields, and staff eventually turned to a drone fitted with thermal-imaging cameras to scan the terrain after ground searches turned up nothing. Locals were warned not to approach the animal if spotted.
The search ended anticlimactically when Luka simply strolled back through the park gates. Darren McGarry, head of animal care at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, confirmed the outcome in a statement.
Luka arrived home on his own accord and we are delighted to have him safely back at the park. The search has concluded successfully, and Luka is safely back in our care.
Darren McGarry, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland
McGarry said primate group dynamics can be volatile, and it is not unusual for male macaques to be pushed out of a troop by dominant rivals, which may explain why Luka bolted in the first place. Staff say he will be examined by the park's veterinary team before being gradually reintroduced to his group, a process zoos typically stagger over days or weeks to avoid triggering another confrontation.
It is the second such escape at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland-run park in under three years. In January 2024, another Japanese macaque named Honshu escaped and was spotted repeatedly in nearby residential gardens before being recaptured days later; he was subsequently transferred to Edinburgh Zoo rather than returned to Highland. Japanese macaques, native to mountainous regions of Japan, are known for their dexterity and cold tolerance, traits that have made escapes from Highland's outdoor enclosures a recurring, if rare, headache for the park.
Highland Wildlife Park, one of two sites operated by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland alongside Edinburgh Zoo, said normal operations were unaffected during the search and that no additional security changes have been announced. Luka's reintroduction to his troop is expected to take place gradually over the coming days.