WATCH: Honshu is on the move again – but this time he is being escorted!
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Honshu the Japanese macaque who captured the world's attention when he escaped from the Highland Wildlife Park was transferred to Edinburgh Zoo yesterday.
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), the wildlife conservation charity that runs both parks, is bringing seven-year-old Honshu to the capital along with three males from his troop to give him a fresh start after his time on the run.
Darren McGarry, head of living collections at RZSS, said, "Primate group dynamics can be very complex, especially in a situation like this where an individual is separated from the troop for an extended period of time.
“Honshu is also of an age when macaques disperse or move away, so it would have been very difficult to reintroduce him to his wider family.
"Instead, we want to create a new, mini troop for him, consisting of three other male macaques of a similar age – just as we do with our giraffes.
"Thankfully they have settled in well together in the park and are now being moved to their new home at the zoo.”
RZSS animal keepers and vets, and an animal detection expert used a thermal imaging drone to successfully recapture Honshu following his escape in January after he was spotted stealing food from a bird feeder in a garden near the Kincraig attraction.
Keith Gilchrist, living collections operations manager at Highland Wildlife Park, said, "We were amazed by the level of interest in Honshu’s escape from across the globe but our only priority throughout the process was to ensure his safe return.
"I’m glad to say that thanks largely to the expertise of the team involved in his recapture, as well as a groundswell of support from the local community, we were able to do just that.
"Now it’s time for Honshu’s next chapter.”
The monkeys will spend the first few days indoors before being able to explore the outdoor area of their new enclosure, opposite the zoo’s red river hogs.
You can adopt Honshu and rest of the macaques at the zoo and park by visiting rzss.org.uk/adopt.
