Beautifully Hairy Bag Thieves (Barbary Ape)

Member Name: JJJJ

Product:	Barbary Ape
Date:	18/05/09 (130 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Beautiful creatures in a great setting

Disadvantages: Can cause you injury if they feel threatened

If you ever find yourself in Gibraltar, don't touch the monkeys...

Gibraltar is famous for many things, but perhaps the most popular amongst tourists is its colony of Barbary Macaque's. Often incorrectly refered to as 'Apes' (including here in dooyoo's heading), the animals are actually monkeys - Macaca sylvanus.

My first sight of a barbary macaque was a fairly amusing one - chasing and subsequently leaping onto a sandwich-carrying American tourist who was utterly terrified. The monkey seemed to be relishing the chase, whilst expectantly eyeing the snack which he was soon to eat.

Now, the man-chasing, tailless fur-balls are (for the most part) calm, intelligent animals who enjoy nothing more than sitting in the sun, and occasionally looking for a stolen meal. However, upset them and they will reveal a rather large set of fangs, and emit a loud disturbing howl. It is recommended that if a monkey jumps onto you, it is important to stay calm - the chances are it will just be interested in sifting through your pockets for any items of food that you may have on you, and will probably have a go at pinching your bag. What you should absolutely, positively NEVER do, is get frantic and try to knock it off - otherwise you may well end up with a nasty bite (as some friends of mine did a few years back).

I witnessed a tourist wearing mirror shades, looking at one of the macaques, and when the monkey saw its own reflection, it lashed out and ultimately destroyed the guys expensive looking sunglasses - so be careful with your personal belongings also.

Even though the monkeys of Gibraltar are generally classed as wild, a vet regularly checks them over to ensure their good health. On my visit a couple of weeks ago, I saw one monkey carrying a stillborn baby and caring for it as if still alive. Although it was an upsetting sight, our guide explained that when the vet arrived, the mother would be anaesthetized, and the child taken away.

To get to the area in which the monkeys are located, you'll either need to travel on the cable car - or, as I did, take a trip with one of the tour-guides who are usually waiting in number to transport you up the steep and winding road, one and a half thousand feet to the summit. There is a charge to enter the area where the majority of the monkeys congregate, but this is normally covered in a 20 - 25Euro trip which also includes entry to the beautiful St Michael's Caves, and the war-time siege tunnels which are embedded deep into the rock.

The mokeys of Gibraltar make for an entertaining spectacle, and represent the last Barbary Macaque population in the whole of the Europe. They really are beautiful animals and it's certainly worth a paying them a visit.

Summary: The last monkeys in Europe