This young barbary macaque will form part of a group of 30 to 50 individuals, an assemblage of several Gibraltarian monkey families.

The Barbary Macaque population in Gibraltar is the last in the whole of the European continent, which unlike that of North Africa is thriving. At present there are some 300 animals in five troops occupying the area of the Upper Rock, though occasional forays into the town result in monkey mayhem. Because they are a tailless species, they are also known locally as Barbary Apes or Rock Apes despite the fact that they are monkeys. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2816x2112, 2301 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2816x2112, 2301 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Binomial name Macaca sylvanus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Barbary Macaque (Macaca sylvanus) is a tail-less macaque. ... This article is about the continent. ...  Northern Africa (UN subregion)  geographic, including above North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, generally divided politically from Sub-Saharan Africa. ... The Rock of Gibraltar, sometimes called the Pillar of Hercules, is located in Gibraltar, off the southwestern tip of Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. ...

Origin

Some scientists believe the Barbary Macaques were first brought to Gibraltar by the Moors, who occupied southern Iberia (including Spain and Portugal) between 711 and 1492. On the other hand, it's possible that the original Gibraltar macaques were a remnant of populations that had spread throughout Southern Europe during the Pliocene, up to 5.5 million years ago.^[1] Moorish Ambassador to Queen Elizabeth I of England The Moors were the medieval Muslim inhabitants of al-Andalus (the Iberian Peninsula including present day Gibraltar, Spain and Portugal) as well as the Maghreb and western Africa, whose culture is often called Moorish. ... The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe. ... Southern Europe is a region of the European continent. ... The Pliocene epoch (spelled Pleiocene in some older texts) is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5. ...

Tourism

The Barbary Macaques are considered by many to be the top tourist attraction in Gibraltar. The most popular troop is that of Queen's Gate at The Apes' Den. People can get especially close to the monkeys at this site. They will often approach and sometimes climb onto people as they are used to human interaction. Nevertheless, they are still wild animals and will bite if frightened or annoyed.^[2] A tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit. ... Approximate worldwide distribution of monkeys. ...

A Gibraltarian Barbary Macaque

The Barbary Macaques' contact with large numbers of tourists was causing the integrity of their social groups to break down, as they began to become dependent on humans. This induced the monkeys' urge to foray into the town, resulting in damages to personal property such as buildings, clothing and vehicles. For this reason, feeding the macaques in Gibraltar is now an offence punishable by law. Anyone caught feeding the monkeys will incur a penalty of up to a maximum fine of £500.^[3] Image File history File links M_sylvanus_BarbaryApe. ... Image File history File links M_sylvanus_BarbaryApe. ... A tourist boat travels the River Seine in Paris, France Tourism can be defined as the act of travel for the purpose of recreation, and the provision of services for this act. ... A penalty is a punishment: a legal sentence, e. ...

Military care

The Gibraltar population was under the care of the British Army and later the Gibraltar Regiment from 1915 to 1991, who carefully controlled a population that initially consisted of a single troop. An officer was appointed to supervise their welfare, and a food allowance of fruit, vegetables and nuts was included in the budget. Births were gazetted in true military fashion, and each new arrival was named. Following the withdrawal of the British garrison, the Government of Gibraltar took over responsibility for the monkeys. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... Cap Badge of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment The Royal Gibraltar Regiment is the home defence unit for the British Colony of Gibraltar. ... See also Disputed status of Gibraltar. ...

Officers in charge

Sgt. Alfred Holmes alongside two Gibraltar barbary macaques, looking down on the city of Gibraltar.

• Sgt. Alfred Holmes of the Gibraltar Regiment (c.1958 - c.1986)
• Ernest Asquez of the Gibraltar Regiment (c.1987 - unknown)

Cap Badge of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment The Royal Gibraltar Regiment is the home defence unit for the British Colony of Gibraltar. ... Cap Badge of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment The Royal Gibraltar Regiment is the home defence unit for the British Colony of Gibraltar. ...

Myth

A popular belief holds that as long as Barbary Macaques exist on Gibraltar, the territory will remain under British rule. In 1942 (during World War II), after the population dwindled to just a handful of individuals (just seven monkeys), British Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered that their numbers be replenished immediately from forest fragments in both Morocco and Algeria due to this traditional belief.^[1] Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... In the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister is the head of government, exercising many of the executive functions nominally vested in the Sovereign, who is head of state. ... Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC (Can) (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was an English statesman, soldier, and author. ...

A story tells that Gibraltar is linked to Africa by a subterranean passage over 15 miles (24 km) which begins at Lower St. Michael's Cave long under the Strait of Gibraltar. Legend has it that the Barbary Macaques entered The Rock from Morocco this way. A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... Subterranean can also refer to something below the Earths surface Subterranean was an album released by Swedish heavy metal band In Flames in 1995. ... St. ... The Strait of Gibraltar as seen from space. ... The Rock of Gibraltar, sometimes called the Pillar of Hercules, is located in Gibraltar, off the southwestern tip of Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. ...

References

External links

• Frances D. Burton: The Integration of Biology and Behavior in the Socialization of Macaca sylvana of Gibraltar