A Crested Mangabey remains at large nearly one month after escaping the Beekse Bergen safari park. According to zoologist Martin van Hees, the primate has been located in a wooded area approximately ten kilometers from the park, where keepers are currently monitoring its movements to facilitate a safe capture.
Tracking and Capture Strategies in the Field
Recovery efforts rely on a combination of technology and behavioral conditioning. Zoologist Martin van Hees and animal specialist Rob van der Graaf have deployed ten cameras throughout the surrounding forest to map the animal’s preferred transit routes and feeding sites. By identifying these patterns, the team can position capture cages in high-traffic areas. According to van Hees, the team uses rose petals as bait to lure the primate into the enclosures. When a cage is triggered, the system sends an automated SMS alert to the team, allowing them to verify the occupant via camera feed.
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The capture team has occasionally dealt with “false alarms” in their traps, including one instance where a hedgehog triggered the mechanism. This prompted the team to adjust the height of the traps to ensure only the target animal can enter.
Challenges of Wildlife Retrieval
The team has ruled out the use of tranquilizer darts for the immediate future. Van Hees notes that the primate remains highly vigilant, making it impossible to get within the necessary range for a shot without being detected. Furthermore, there is a significant safety risk: if the animal were darted, it might flee toward nearby water sources, creating a danger of drowning.
Visual confirmation remains the primary method for tracking. Van Hees and van der Graaf report spotting the animal in the field almost daily. “He is black, and black spots stand out in the trees,” says van der Graaf, who specializes in retrieving escaped wildlife. The team now utilizes audio lures as well, playing recordings of a Crested Mangabey troop’s “friendly” calls—specifically the sounds made during feeding time—to encourage the animal to approach designated capture points.
Future Trends in Animal Recovery
According to the team at Beekse Bergen, while physical patrols were the initial strategy, they proved largely ineffective due to the animal’s ability to recognize staff members and avoid them.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why hasn’t the animal been tranquilized?
Keepers cannot get close enough to the primate without being spotted, and they fear the animal could drown if it becomes incapacitated near water. - How are the keepers locating the animal?
The team has installed ten cameras in the surrounding woods and uses binoculars to track the primate’s position in the trees. - What is the strategy for luring the primate into a cage?
The team uses food, such as rose petals, and acoustic lures featuring the sounds of a monkey troop during feeding time.
Have you spotted the Crested Mangabey or do you have information regarding its location? Please contact the Beekse Bergen safari park authorities directly. Subscribe to our newsletter for further updates on this ongoing recovery effort.