Cheeky monkey will be a star at Blair Drummond
Blair Drummond Safari Park has its own lockdown baby.
Barbary macaque Coral gave birth to her offspring at the weekend.
And with a tongue out for park photographer Coni McEwan, it looks as if the days old new arrival is going to be as cheeky as the rest of the safari park macaque family.
While more mischievous than dangerous, they can be understandably protective of their young.
The Macaque Drive-thru section opened in 2015 and was famously used as the backdrop for Peter Kay’s safari park“Car Share”episode.
The macaques previously lived between the top of the Rock of
Gibraltar and the town, where their expanding population had begun to cause problems for local residents. They were moved to Blair Drummond as an alternative to lethal control.
“They got a bit overconfident in Gibraltar,”said park manager Gary Gilmour,“mainly because they got used to people feeding them so they ended up snatching food and getting too close for comfort. They’ve calmed down a lot since they got here - but they still have a naughty streak and they can have a tug at your hair or jump on you if they get a chance.”
The park is currently closed during the lockdown, with keepers and volunteers continuing to look after its creatures behind the scenes, including running online tours on Thursdays at midday. Anyone looking for ways to help the animals meantime, or who wants to treat their family members at a later date, can find details of animal adoptions, animal experiences and gift cards at https://bit.ly/2VMC2uY