Today we want to learn about the natural behavior of Barbary macaques. And of all places, in Gibraltar, which is plagued by mass tourism. A mission impossible? Not for primatologist Brian Gomila and the participants of his "Monkey Talk" tour.
Tourists teasing monkeys and then getting scared when the animals become bold. Barbary macaques stealing food and jumping on tourists' shoulders. The Rock of Gibraltar is quite a circus. It's certainly not the right place to learn about these animals, you might think. That's true until you meet Brian Gomila. Brian is a man with a mission: the primatologist shows visitors to Gibraltar the Barbary macaques as they really are. Off the beaten tourist track, he takes his guests to the quiet places in Gibraltar. He knows where they feed and sleep, how the animals move during the day and where their natural behavior is best observed.
How the Barbary macaques came to Gibraltar For a long time it was unclear how the Barbary macaques came to Gibraltar. Did they always live in southern Europe and are they the last survivors of a once larger population? Or did they come to Europe via a mysterious tunnel under the Strait of Gibraltar? The truth is less adventurous. Genetic analyses have  It has been shown that the animals in Gibraltar are closely related to their counterparts in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco and those in Algeria. They were most likely brought to Europe on ships by the Islamic conquerors of the Iberian Peninsula - some escaped and reproduced. But the Barbary macaques are apparently not completely foreign to Europe. There are fossil finds that indicate that the Barbary macaques were also native to southern Europe over a million years ago. |
Brian attaches great importance to not disturbing the animals. He gives the monkeys space, so they can come to us if they want. And lo and behold, with a little distance, respect and without offering food, you suddenly become part of a group of Barbary macaques climbing around in a small forest, playing and grooming their fur. Monkey Talk is the name of the tour that Brian has been offering successfully for many years. And the name says it all, you learn so much about our closest relatives, their social behavior and family life that you hardly have time to take photos, but it is not a photo tour either. I was just able to capture a few pictures with the last light.
The Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) Barbary macaques are a type of macaque and, as their scientific name suggests, live mainly in forests (lat. silva = forest). The species is endangered according to the IUCN. It is estimated that around 7,000 animals currently live in Morocco and Algeria. The small population in Gibraltar was introduced by the Arab conquerors of the Iberian Peninsula. Barbary macaques live in  Groups whose core consists of related females. The males, like the females, take care of raising the young. They play with them and groom their fur. And this despite the fact that a monkey cannot know whether he is actually the father of a particular youngster, because the females mate with several males. You can find out more about the advantages of raising youngsters together here. |
 Practical tips Best time to travel : Gibraltar can be visited all year round. The ideal time to travel is from April to October. In the summer months, you should book the tour well in advance. Bring with you: good shoes. The tour goes off the beaten tourist track, over hill and dale. Contact and reservation: https://www.facebook.com/MonkeyTalkGibraltar/ |
 The Wild Moments Rating ⭐ to ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars How wild was it? ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ Okay, we are in tourism-plagued Gibraltar, how wild can it be? Wilder than you think. I wouldn't have expected that at times you could experience these habituated Barbary macaques as if you were somewhere in the Atlas Mountains. What are the chances of success? ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The monkeys are always there and Brian knows how they move throughout the day. How sustainable was it? ⭐⭐⭐⭐ In the midst of Gibraltar's unsustainable mass tourism, the tour is a little oasis. Brian gives the animals their space and he insists that those on the tour do the same. How family friendly is the activity? ⭐⭐⭐⭐ It is an activity that is well suited to families. Children in particular are often fascinated by monkeys because they are so similar to us. However, the children should be of a certain age, because Brian's explanations are as interesting as they are detailed. Small children might get a little bored after a while. How suitable is the activity for wildlife photography? ⭐⭐⭐⭐ You visit several good locations off the beaten tourist track. The challenge is that Brian knows so much that you almost don't get a chance to take photos. But I was happy to accept that. |
Smart Macaques Macaques are smart and adaptive. In Bali, long-tailed macaques have specialized in stealing valuable items such as smartphones or glasses from temple visitors and exchanging them for food. They have learned that people are more generous with valuable items such as smartphones and that better barter deals can be made 😊.