Traffic Scotland joins search for Kincraig's missing monkey
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Monkey business on Scotland's roads has for years been captured by the all-seeing eye of Traffic Scotland – but tonight the roles were reversed!
The agency posted its own sighting of the nation's most celebrated Japanese macaque, which famously escaped from the Highland Wildlife Park in Badenoch on Sunday and has defied all attempts to round it up and take it home to its troop.
"We have spotted a rather mischievous character near the TSNCC tonight!" they announced from their National Control Centre in Edinburgh.
"He's following our safety advice," the surveillance agency noted, "keeping behind the barrier!"
But while dozens of weird, witty and wonderful "sightings" have been posted by the social media artists as the week has gone by, the TS contribution came more in the way of another appeal to the public:
"We are asking those in the the local area near the @HighlandWPark to keep an eye out and report any sightings to the park as soon as possible."
The park team searching for the meandering monkey have been using state-of-the-art technology including heat-sensitive drone cameras, but as the week has gone by the weather has deteriorated so badly that their best efforts were confounded.
Yesteray the winds were approaching 80mph and no drone could fly in that.
Keith Gilchrist, leading the chase, reminded everyone that the best policy was to help the resourceful macaque grow hungy so that it would head home naturally, by itself.
"The public is still asked to take in any potential food sources, included bird feeders or any food waste.
“Although the macaque is not presumed dangerous to humans or pets, our advice is to not approach him but to contact our hotline on 07933928377 with any sightings.”