A marmoset monkey handed into a vet's surgery is being checked to see if it is one of two stolen from a garden at the weekend.
The common marmosets were taken from the Balmakeith Drive area of Nairn in the Scottish Highlands between 4.30pm and 10.50pm on Saturday.
The animals, aged 11 weeks and 12 months, were taken from their garden enclosure shortly after a man went to the house offering to clean the gutters and expressed an interest in buying them.
He is described as white, in his late 20s, short and of medium build, with a roundish face, no facial hair, well presented and with no distinctive accent.
It has now emerged that an adult marmoset was handed in to a vet's surgery in Fife by a member of the public, claiming to have found the animal in a shoebox in a lay-by.
The monkey is being cared for by the Scottish SPCA, who have been as yet unable to confirm if it is the older of the two stolen at the weekend.
People have been warned not to handle the monkeys.
Inspector Sarah Gregory said: "The person reported finding the animal in a lay-by on the road between Kincardine and High Valleyfield. Unfortunately we have been unable to speak with them ourselves and are appealing to this person to get in touch with us."
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