(UPI) A Japanese monkey escaped from a zoo in Scotland and has been spotted raiding gardens in a nearby village.

The Japanese macaque, also known as a snow monkey, escaped from its enclosure at the Highland Wildlife Park, located inside the Cairngorms National Park in the Kingussie, Highland, area.

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which operates the wildlife park, is on the hunt for the runaway simian, which was spotted in the nearby village of Kincraig.

Kincraig resident Carl Nagle saw the monkey outside his window on Sunday.

"I looked out the window and there he was, proud as punch, standing against the fence eating nuts that had fallen down from one of the bird feeders," Nagle told BBC Scotland News. He hung out, he looked a bit shifty like he was where he wasn't supposed to be, which was true. He wandered around the garden a bit -- we thought he'd gone but he came back and then he was up on the bird feeders trying to get into them. He was having a really good go -- he worked harder at it than a squirrel.

RZSS officials said experts were patrolling Kincraig on Monday in an attempt to locate the furry fugitive.

"We are asking anyone who spots him to please call 07933928377 or email comms@rzss.org.uk with information," the zoo said on social media. Although we don't expect the monkey to be a threat to the public or pet animals, he should not be approached.

Keith Gilchrist, an official with the RZSS, said it is breeding season for the monkeys, so the escaped animal might have been fleeing a confrontation with one of the other 36 monkeys in his troop.

"This time of year is breeding season so tensions run a little bit high and some times fights break out over breeding rights," he said. When that happens the animals' adrenaline can some times over-ride everything and rather than get into a fight it seems this one has just gone for it and got past the enclosure perimeter fence.

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