SCOTTISH safari park bosses have had to apologise after children were left "pretty traumatised" after witnessing an escaped monkey being torn apart by a pride of lions.

Children were said to have watched in horror as a barbary macaque broke out of its enclosure at Blair Drummond safari park, near Stirling, into the lion enclosure.

One witness told The Mail on Sunday: “We could not believe what we were seeing — it’s not what you expect at a safari park. We left pretty traumatised.

“Surely it’s the park’s responsibility to keep endangered animals safe and not allow them to jump straight in the lion’s den? The awful sound of the monkey screaming for its life will stay with us.

“We had hoped for a happy day out with our young child but ended up having to explain to a toddler what happened to the monkey.”

The park's owners told the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (Biaza), which can issue sanctions if there is evidence that an establishment is not working to the appropriate standards.

The monkey was one of 30 barbary macaques brought from Gibraltar to Scotland in 2014.

A Blair Drummond spokesman said: “We are truly sorry that our visitors witnessed what must have been a really distressing sight.

"This tragic event is being felt deeply by the teams involved who care for animals around the clock. We are taking this extremely seriously; the safety of our visitors and the safety and care of our animals is our highest priority.

"The incident in the lion enclosure has never happened before and we share the shock and concern that this took place.”

A spokesman for Biaza said: “We are carrying out our investigation, working with Blair Drummond to ensure a thorough internal investigation is carried out to prevent such incidents in future.”