Monkeys get cracking with some early Easter excitement
Japanese macaques get eggs-actly what they want with some seasonal stimulation
Easter has come early for the Japanese macaques at Kincraig's Highland Wildlife Park. Keepers will place large, brightly coloured papier-mâché eggs, as well as those of the boiled variety, into the macaques’ enclosure.
The Easter eggs form some exciting stimulus for the naturally curious species.
Vickie Larkin, Head Carnivore Keeper at Highland Wildlife Park, said: “The macaques absolutely love enrichment and they are an inherently inquisitive species; there are also a lot of new youngsters in our troop at the moment"
"The papier-mâché Easter eggs are something they can immediately inspect and play with and the boiled eggs are one of their favourite treats to eat"
“Enrichment plays an important role in the animals’ lives and Easter provides unique opportunities for us to get really creative”
Japanese macaques, also known as snow monkeys, are an Old World monkey species native to Japan. They are the world’s most northern living primate species as well as the only primate species to live in such cold climates.
Japanese macaques are ideally suited to withstand the harsh, cold climate, with the help of a long, thick fur, but they are probably most widely recognised for the images of them relaxing in natural hot springs, which helps them escape the cold extremes.
Macaques live in large social groups of around 20 to 40 individuals, with Kincraig home to a troop of 23.