Drones have been grounded in the hunt for a missing Highland monkey amidst a yellow warning for gale-force winds.
A male Japanese macaque has been on the loose for more than 96 hours after escaping from the Highland Wildlife Park, near Aviemore.
Rangers were scrambled to the village of Kincraig on Sunday morning as shocked residents spotted the primate in their back gardens.
Teams attempted to coax the snow monkey out from the trees armed with nets and tranquiliser guns, however, it managed to evade capture.
Four days on, it is still on the loose with staff hoping to close in on its location.
However, wind speeds of up to 48mph have hampered search efforts with drones unable to operate in the conditions.
Instead, teams will use thermal imaging cameras on the ground to continue their search.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for wind, which could cause disruption to transport and power supplies.
Drone footage released in search for missing snow monkey
The setback comes just 24 hours after new sightings were reported close to the park’s main entrance.
Members of Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team were drafted in to assist in deploying their thermal imaging drone.
Hopes were high as a heat signature was identified in a dense area of woodland close to the park.
However, further investigations identified it as nothing more than a tyre.
Footage captured by BH Wildlife Consultancy has now been released as the search for the snow monkey enters its fourth day.
The clips show the snow monkey venturing through an area of woodland, close to the Kincraig-based park.
This morning, staff confirmed more than 45 minutes of footage was captured of the monkey in the wild on Tuesday.
Despite their extensive footage, staff confirmed he was not in a location where they were confident they could “bring him in safely.”
In a statement, released on social media, they said: “After continued help from BH Wildlife Consultancy we were able to follow the macaque for 45 minutes yesterday using drones.
“Unfortunately, he wasn’t in a position where we were confident we could bring him in safely but he is making his way closer to the park.
“Our team will be out again today but given the high winds we won’t be able to fly the drones but will be using thermal imaging cameras.”
Warning not to approach the missing monkey from Highland Wildlife Park
Members of the public have been warned not to approach the primate and to bring waste and bird feeders inside in a bid to drive the primate back to the zoo.
Speaking at the park on Tuesday, ranger Stuart Owen said the conservation charity was exhausting all efforts to return the monkey to its family.
He said: “We are doing absolutely everything we can, from the moment we come in until the moment we leave. There are certain individuals on call on the monkey hotline and we are keeping abreast of the situation as much as we can.
“RZSS is doing everything it can to get the monkey back with its family.”
Escaped monkey ‘ran onto railway tracks’ near Kincraig as hunt continues
