Catch me if you can: Pesky primate escapes zoo enclosure
A PESKY primate is on the run from police after escaping its zoo enclosure.
Tamil the monkey has escaped from a zoo
Tamil, a lion-tailed macaque, is on the loose from Howletts Wild Animal Park in Kent after eluding security on Tuesday night and running off into the countryside around Canterbury.
Howlett Park’s animal director Adrian Harland has urged the public not to approach the monkey - named after the King of the Jungle due to their territorial nature - because they are aggressive brawlers.
He said: “The lion tailed macaque is currently out of his enclosure at Howletts and keepers have confirmed that the monkey has left the park boundary.
“Kent Police and the council have been informed, whilst keepers and vets are on standby to safely contain the animal.”
Lion tailed macaques are characterised by their white manes
They are known to eat fruit and seeds
Characterised by their white manes, the endangered lion tailed Macaque are fruit and seed eating primates native to South India.
Keepers and vets are on standby to safely contain the animal
Escaped animals are not a rare occurrence for Howletts, with another macaque escaping in 2013 after keepers entered the enclosure to vaccinate its occupants.
In 2009, a pack of wild hunting dogs went missing and in December 2001, a tiger was shot dead after breaking free from its enclosure.
Police called off the hunt when it became dark, after experts advised Tamil would have built a bed.
Lion tailed macaques are endangered
Cute Friendship Between A Monkey And A Baby
A spokesperson from Howletts Animal Park said: “Macaques are diurnal and we expect that the monkey will have found itself a comfortable bed for the night.
“Our keepers and vets are in the park and surrounding areas. As it’s dark we will not be searching the fields until morning.”