Highland Wildlife Park keepers are breathing a sigh of relief following the successful capture of an escaped monkey.
Japanese macaque Honshu fled his enclosure on Sunday, sparking a widespread search operation in the Kincraig area.
Drone footage of the snow monkey was captured on Tuesday, as rangers armed with nets and darts scoured the area in a bid to return him to his troop.
With help from a Yorkshire pudding, he was successfully captured and returned home on Thursday.
We’ve put together a timeline of events, pinpointing milestone moments in the park’s extensive search operation.
Sunday, January 28
11am: Residents of the nearby village of Kincraig spot a monkey in their garden.
They report the escapee to Highland Wildlife Park and the police.
Search teams descend on the village to try and capture the monkey.
1:30pm: Highland Wildlife Park issues a statement and asks the public not to approach the primate.
Residents look on as rangers – armed with nets and tranquiliser guns – attempt to coax the monkey down from the top of a mound, however, he evades capture.
The search is stood down as night falls.
Monday, January 29
9am: Staff at the Highland Wildlife Park release a new statement, confirming teams are patrolling the area.
A hotline is established for sightings and residents are asked to bring in any food left outside, such as food waste bins or bird feeders, to encourage the monkey to return to the park once hungry.
That morning, Kincraig residents report sightings of the primate in the Speybank area, which is nearly two miles away from the Wildlife Park.
Monday afternoon: Staff from BH Wildlife Consultancy deploy a thermal imaging drone hoping to capture a glimpse of the missing monkey.
Tuesday, January 30
9am: Highland Wildlife Park confirming a new sighting near the main entrance of the Park, in Aviemore.
10.30am: Members of Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team arrive at the park to assist in the search with their thermal imaging drone.
11am: Jonny Porteous, Cairngorm MRT member and drone operator, picks up a heat signature in dense woodland.
11.15am: Park officials report the sighting as a false alarm, logging it as a tyre.
Noon: Park rangers and members of Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team regroup to come up with an action plan.
Around 1pm: Ranger Stuart Owen blows the whistle during feeding time hoping to entice the missing monkey home.
Tuesday afternoon: Drone operators from BH Wildlife Consultancy record 45 minutes of footage of the missing monkey roaming around in the wild.
Despite their extensive footage, staff confirmed he was not in a location where they were confident they could “bring him in safely.”
Wednesday, January 31
9am: Park officials confirm drones can’t be used due to a yellow weather warning for wind.
Drone footage of the monkey in the wild is released as search efforts continue.
It has now been four days since the monkey escaped and there is significant media attention with press from across the UK descending on the park.
9am – 11am: Sightings of the monkey were reported in an area close to the park however, these were not able to be confirmed.
11am: Rangers feed the remaining 36 monkeys in the enclosure, hoping to attract the missing snow monkey home.
11am – 3pm: Teams brave the strong winds and heavy rain to continue their search of the local area and follow up on reported sightings.
3.35pm: Rangers do a head count to ascertain if the monkey has returned, which it has not.
4pm: Park closes to the public with the monkey still at large.
Thursday, February 1
10am: Stephanie Bunyan is at home in Insh when she spots the escaped monkey peering through her window.
She phones the hotline and keepers descend on her home. They use a drone to pinpoint Honshu’s exact location.
11am: Keepers dart Honshu twice after he pulls out the first one and tries to flee.
Noon: The monkey returns to the Highland Wildlife Park to undergo a full medical examination, and it is confirmed that his name is Honshu.
1pm: Keith Gilchrist, living collections operations manager said he was “relieved” to have captured their monkey following a hectic five-day search.
2:30pm: Vet Rebecca Amos confirms Honshu is in fantastic shape following a full examination.
He has a small wound where he was darted but this is cleaned and stitched.
Keepers paint his nails, which is something they do to distract monkeys from picking at their wounds.
3pm: Stephanie Bunyan speaks to the media and reveals she believes it was a Yorkshire pudding, which she had left in her garden for birds, that lured him in.
Honshu is kept in a separate enclosure away from the rest of the troop and is closely monitored by staff.
Highland Wildlife Park confirms there will be an investigation into his escape.
Escaped Highland monkey finally captured after being lured in by a Yorkshire pudding
