Where Do Monkeys Live in Europe? 0 5

On the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula, in the rocks of Gibraltar, lies the only small colony of wild Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) in Europe. Archaeological studies indicate that these animals once inhabited not only this part of Europe but also much further north — up to Great Britain, as well as further east — to the borders of modern Hungary. Currently, macaques can also be found in northwestern Africa — in Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco; however, the question of how they ended up in Europe remains unresolved.

There is a legend that wild monkeys crossed from Africa to the Iberian Peninsula through an underground passage, but a more likely version suggests that these tailless macaques were brought by humans. Since 1704, Gibraltar has been under the protection of the United Kingdom, and locals still consider the Gibraltar monkeys their lucky talisman. Therefore, since the mid-19th century, macaques have been protected first by the British Royal Navy and then by the government of Gibraltar. Currently, the monkeys continue to receive protection, medical assistance, and supplemental feeding, as they constantly struggle for survival in search of insufficient food along the rocky coastlines.

Smart macaques are well aware that humans pose no threat to them, so they sometimes behave quite “immediately,” for example, by snatching food from passersby or stopping traffic on the roads.