The Gibraltar's Monkeys - Perhaps the biggest tourist attraction

The Barbary macaques living on the Rock of Gibraltar are wild, though they seem tame. They see so many tourists who give them very much attention. The Apes's Den on the Upper Rock is where you will see most of them. Take a guided bus tour. Walk or take the cable car. The monkeys are probably the biggest tourist attraction in Gibraltar. Close to 300 monkeys are living here. They are the only population of wild monkeys still living in Europe. Gibraltar is located on the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar. Since 1704 Gibraltar has been British. Spain was the one who lost the war that gave Great Britain souvereignty. Many tourists in southern Spain do day trips to Gibraltar. So did I and my travel companions. You don't need more than a day or two. Gibraltar is small and easy walkable.

We did a guided tour by mini bus. In this way we were able to visit other interesting sights on The Rock. The guide and driver actually had a stick in the car. In case a monkey should come too close. We were told not to feed the monkeys and to hold on to bags, sunglasses, backpacks etc. But all went well. No attacks by angry monkeys. In fact they were sitting on the rocks or the fences looking very peacefull.

One does not know how these Barbary macaques got to Gibraltar, but it's assumed they came from Moroco. But before the British took over, the monkeys were here in Gibraltar. There are several theories about how they came and from where. One of these theories says they came with the Moors (between 700 - 1492). They might have been brought here as pets.

Our guide told us that the man who was the governor from the 1800s, did not allow anyone to do harm to the monkeys or take them down to the city. Today it sometimes happens that they go down into town where they can do some damage to property and belongings to people. In 1942 there were only a few monkeys left. But Churchill who was Prime Minister of Britain, ordered monkeys from Morocco in order to increase the population. From aprox 1915 and up until late 1990's the monkeys were protected and cared for by the military (British). They fed them with fruits, nuts etc. They also checked every newborn and kept record of the population. They actually gave the newborn names after officers and governors. They are not controlled by the army anymore. Today it is the Veterinay Clinic that are responsible for both health and feeding. Even though they do feed on natural vegetation as well.

The Gibraltar Barbary macaques has an enormous impact on tourism. Thousand of people come every year to see the monkeys. The may seem tame and you do feel like petting them. The monkeys are almost idendical with Gibraltar . A great experience.