A young monkey is back at his Highland home after escaping from an enclosure overnight.
Search teams spent the day looking for Luka, a young male Japanese macaque who escaped from the Highland Wildlife Park, near Aviemore.
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) said he returned to the park "of his own accord" on Monday evening.
"The search has concluded successfully and Luka is safely back in our care," Darren McGarry, head of animal care at RZSS, said.
"He will now be looked over by our keepers and veterinary team before being carefully reintroduced to his group."
Mr McGarry added: "We want to thank everyone who has helped during the search, particularly those who supported our teams. Luka arrived home on his own accord and we are delighted to have him safely back at the park."
Staff spent the day attempting to track the macaque across the area using techniques including a thermal imaging drone.
"Primate group dynamics can be very complex and males being forced out of a group is not uncommon," Mr McGarry said earlier.
"Although the macaque is not dangerous, our advice is members of the public should not approach him and to contact 0776 9165117 with any details of a sighting."
The escape follows another incident in January 2024, when a Japanese macaque named Honshu slipped out of the park. Honshu roamed the Highlands for five days before being spotted eating at a local garden bird feeder.
He was safely captured and returned before later being transferred to Edinburgh Zoo for a fresh start.
Japanese macaques are also known as snow monkeys.
There is a large group of the primates at Highland Wildlife Park.
According to the zoo’s website, their large social groups – called troops – can have a “strict” hierarchy.
“Males have a changeable social structure due to competition or the arrival of new males,” the website says.
“Alpha males can gain high status and mating opportunities. They don't always hold the position for long due to constant challenges.”
In Japan, a young macaque named Punch went viral in 2025 for clinging to an orangutan stuffed toy after being rejected by his mother.
He has since found a new troop and celebrated his first birthday in late July, receiving about 2,500 birthday cards from around the world.
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