Honshu the famous escapee monkey has landed at his new home at Edinburgh Zoo.
The seven-year-old snow monkey said goodbye to his former home at the Highland Wildlife Park this morning after causing “too much trouble” to continue living there.
And he continues to make history by becoming one of the first Japanese macaques to now live at the capital’s Zoo.
Honshu along with three members of his former troop – Ken, Katana and Kirran – made the 115-mile journey south today for their fresh start.
After landing in Edinburgh, they were carried into the park in wooden crates and the first thing on the agenda was a slap-up meal of vegetables.
The landmark move comes more than four weeks on from his great escape from the Highland Wildlife Park.
The five-day search operation attracted worldwide attention as staff worked tirelessly to capture the primate.
He was eventually tracked down by keepers after Insh residents Stephanie and Howard Bunyan discovered Honshu in her back garden.
Keepers delighted by smooth transfer of Japanese macaques
Having caused “too much trouble” in the Highlands, keepers opted to move Honshu and a few members of his former troop to their sister site to facilitate the creation of a new bachelor group.
Kirsty McFaul, senior for birds primates and koalas, was on hand to welcome the monkeys to their new home.
Speaking to The P&J, she said the operation had been a huge success for all involved, with the troop settling in nicely.
She said: “It has all gone very well. The guys up at the Highland Wildlife Park did a great job.
“They came here safely, we unloaded them great, and everyone was fine.
“He came out of the box great so Honshu and his troop are in the inside house having some food. We made sure we had lots of food as it was a long journey for them today.
“It is very exciting. I love a macaque species and they’re going to be great to work with.”
The monkeys were transferred into wooden crates at the Kincraig-based park this morning before being placed into the back of a van to be transported.
After arriving at the zoo shortly after 2pm, one monkey peered from within the crate, assessing his new environment as keepers carried them carefully indoors.
Behind closed doors, the monkeys were released from the crates before being served their first meal, consisting entirely of vegetables.
The move concludes weeks of hard work by staff to ensure the “enclosure is up to standards.”
It was formerly the home of stellar sea eagles, barbary macaques and Egyptian vultures.
The monkeys will be kept indoors over the coming days as they are integrated with their surroundings before being released into their enclosure.
Honshu to form bachelor group at Edinburgh Zoo
Kirsty, who has been working at Edinburgh Zoo for almost 15 years, says her hope is the monkeys will settle into their new surroundings and eventually form a bachelor group.
She added: “We’ve been in touch with the guys up north because they know a lot about Japanese macaques because they have a lot of them.
“They know what to do so we have been hearing what they need and just seeing what we can do for them.
“The main thing is to make sure that they feel comfortable in this new enclosure and that they feel safe because that’s what we always want.
“Honshu is at the age now where in the wild he would disperse and try and find his own group or make a bachelor group.
“He obviously wanted to do that so we have recreated that here and brought him down here.
“We are trying to give them the natural life they can get in the wild so they feel comfortable.
“He felt that he needed to go on and we’ve given him the opportunity to do that.”
RZSS staff hope Honshu’s arrival at the park will encourage people to visit him in his new home.
“We always love people coming to the park and always love people enjoying the animals we have at the zoo so anyone who wants to come and see them is more than welcome,” Kirsty said.
