"Barbary macaques in Gibraltar Originally from the Atlas mountains and the Rif mountains of Morocco, the Barbary macaque population in Gibraltar is the only wild monkey population on the European continent. Although most populations in Africa are experiencing declining populations due to hunting and deforestation, the population of Barbary monkeys in Gibraltar is increasing. Currently, some 300 animals in five troops occupy the Upper Rock area of the Gibraltar Nature Reserve, though they make occasional forays into the town. As they are a tailless species, they are also known locally as Barbary apes or rock apes, despite being monkeys (""Macaca"
"Rock's upper area is covered by a nature reserve which is home to around 230 Barbary macaques, the famous ""apes"" of Gibraltar, which are actually monkeys. These are the only wild apes or monkeys found in Europe. This species, known scientifically as ""Macaca sylvanus"", is listed as endangered by the IUCN Red List and is declining. Three-quarters of the world population live in the Middle Atlas mountains of Morocco. Recent genetic studies and historical documents point to their presence on the Rock before its capture by the British, having possibly been introduced during the Islamic period. A superstition analogous to"
"Europe is that of Gibraltar, which, unlike that of North Africa, is thriving. Currently, there are around 230 individuals living on the Rock of Gibraltar, and they form groups of up to 75 and will occasionally enter the town. Barbary macaque The Barbary macaque (""Macaca sylvanus""), also known as Barbary ape or magot, is a species of macaque unique for its distribution outside Asia. Found in the Atlas Mountains of Algeria and Morocco along with a small population of uncertain origin in Gibraltar, the Barbary macaque is one of the best-known Old World monkey species. The Barbary macaque is of"
"primarily of plants and insects and they are found in a variety of habitats. Males live to around 25 years old while females may live up to 30 years. Besides humans, they are the only free-living primates in Europe. Although the species is commonly referred to as the ""Barbary ape"", the Barbary macaque is actually a true monkey. Its name refers to the Barbary Coast of North West Africa. The Barbary macaque population of Gibraltar is the only such population outside Northern Africa and the only population of wild monkeys in Europe. About 230 macaques live on the Rock of"
"species inhabited the Mediterranean coasts and Europe, reaching as far north as Germany and the British Isles. The species decreased with the arrival of the Ice Age, to extinction in the Iberian Peninsula 30,000 years ago. The Gibraltar 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, where people can get especially close to the monkeys. 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"
"reserve their home. Gibraltar has a reintroduced population of Barbary macaques, the only wild primate species in Europe, the famous Rock apes. The macaques may be found at the Ape's Den near the middle cable-car station, at the top cable car station, and near the Great Siege Tunnels. As of 2012 there were from 200 to 250 macaques, all of them living in the nature reserve. It is forbidden to feed the monkeys, but these rules have not always been followed. As a result, some of them have become aggressive and dependent on food from humans. In 2008 the government"
"(during World War II), after the population dwindled to just a handful of individuals (just seven monkeys), British Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered their numbers be replenished immediately from forest fragments in both Morocco and Algeria because of this traditional belief. Another story links Gibraltar to Africa by a subterranean passage over 15 miles (24 km) long which begins at Lower St. Michael's Cave and passes under the Strait of Gibraltar, and the Gibraltar Barbary macaques entered The Rock from Morocco this way. Barbary macaques in Gibraltar Originally from the Atlas mountains and the Rif mountains of Morocco, the Barbary"
"Rock of Gibraltar (horse) Rock of Gibraltar (IRE) (foaled 8 March 1999 in Ireland) is a Champion racehorse and stallion owned by Coolmore. The horse stands in Ireland during the Northern Hemisphere breeding season, and Australia as a ""shuttle stallion"" during the Southern Hemisphere breeding season. Rock of Gibraltar is named after the Rock of Gibraltar, a monolithic limestone promontory in Gibraltar on the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. His name was inspired by that of his dam Offshore Boom. Because of its low-tax status, Gibraltar has become a popular offshore location for British and international companies to base"
"monkeys were transferred to the park from Gibraltar in 2014 to reduce the problem they were beginning to cause to the peninsula's residents, and to prevent having to cull them as had been carried out previously. The Barbary macaque is listed as endangered by the IUCN Red List and in 2016 the park began to raise money for Barbary macaques being exploited for use as photo props in Morocco. The fourth and final reserve houses herbivorous species native to Asia, such as Père David's deer, Bactrian camels, Nilgai, Axis deer and Eld's deer. In April 2016 the park welcomed the"
"being Mons Abyla or Jebel Musa on the African side of the Strait. In ancient times, the two points marked the limit to the known world, a myth originally fostered by the Greeks and the Phoenicians. Gibraltar is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea and has no contact with the Atlantic Ocean. The Rock of Gibraltar is a monolithic promontory. The Main Ridge has a sharp crest with peaks over 400 m above sea level, formed by Early Jurassic limestones and dolomites. It is a deeply eroded and highly faulted limb of an overturned fold. The sedimentary strata composing the Rock"
"rough terrain and predominantly creeping vegetation type, thus it can be found mongoose, genets and other small mammals. Regarding the flora and fauna have been found underwater meadows of angiosperms in several areas of the park but due to the wing of the waves are not high concentrations. The marine fauna is exceptionally narrow, numerous species of cetaceans whales, dolphins, orcas, sperm whales, blue whales, etc. The earliest evidence of human journey through these lands are the remains of Neanderthals found in the Rock of Gibraltar. That may correspond to one of the world's last populations of this group of"
"the Barbary macaque, the only monkey in Africa to be found north of the Sahara. It is found in the forests and more remote parts of the Rif, Middle and High Atlas, as well as on the Rock of Gibraltar in extreme Southern Europe. Their numbers are declining in Morocco as their habitat is reduced by logging, clearing for crops and overgrazing. Other large mammals include the mouflon, gazelles and wild boar, but they are not plentiful. Carnivores include fennec fox, sand cat, least weasel, Saharan striped polecat, Egyptian mongoose, striped hyena and Mediterranean monk seal. Smaller mammals include cape"
"are adapted to life in the maquis, including the Sardinian warbler, wren and woodcock. Barbary partridges can be seen in the more open areas adjoining the path. Europe's largest lizard, the ocellated lizard, also lives in the vicinity, along with Iberian wall lizard, Algerian sand racer and Moorish gecko. The Mediterranean Steps are one of Gibraltar's more strenuous paths, descending from O'Hara's Battery near the Rock's summit to Jews' Gate at the southern foot of the Rock. They consist of a rock-cut staircase ""which winds and bends and twists around precipice after precipice, and from point to point, with the"
"sylvanus""). The local people simply refer to them as ""monos"" () when conversing in Spanish or Llanito (the local vernacular). The name Barbary refers to the Berber People of Morocco who since the beginning of history had ties with the animals surrounding their region, as the Barbary macaques. The macaque population had also been present on the Rock of Gibraltar long before Gibraltar was captured by the British in 1704 and according to records, since prior to reconquest of Gibraltar from the Muslims. It was during the Islamic period where a purported introduction may have taken place. In his work"
"is that of a number of feral goats which have caused serious damage to the vegetation, although eradication efforts are being pursued. Footpaths of Gibraltar The footpaths of Gibraltar provide access to key areas of the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, a refuge for hundreds of species of flora and fauna which in some cases are found nowhere else in Europe. The reserve occupies the upper part of the Rock of Gibraltar, a long and narrow mountain that rises to a maximum height of above sea level, and constitutes around 40 per cent of Gibraltar's total land area. The unusual geology"
"the traditional names of birds; the list of brooks from north to south are as follows; Mullion (Eagle), Wurrul (Bee Eater), Burowa (Bustard), Karonga (White Crane), Gorra Worra (Laughing Jackass), Buralga (Native Companion), Kobardo (Parrot), Birumba (Plover), Dirijiri (Wagtail), Murrindum (Quail), Dumbal (Crow), Tamur (Bronze winged Pigeon), Burunda (Swan), Karani (Duck) and Palona (Hawk). The first section of the trail follows a long series of sandstone faces up until a formation known as Gibraltar Rock, which overhangs an old cobblestone section of the trail. The formation is named after the Rock of Gibraltar. Jersey Spring can be found into the"
"which are Asian except for the Barbary Macaque; including some of the monkeys best known to non-zoologists, such as the rhesus macaque (""M. mulatta""), and the barbary macaque, a colony of which lives on the Rock of Gibraltar in Southern Europe. Macaques are robust primates whose arms and legs are about the same in length. The fur of these animals is typically varying shades of brown or black and their muzzles are rounded in profile with nostrils on the upper surface. The tail varies among each species, which can be long, moderate, short or totally absent. "" ""Although several species"
"Monkey's Cave Monkey's Cave is a cave in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It has been used as part of the Fortifications of Gibraltar and in 1942 there was a convalescent hospital here. This building was later used as the HQ of the Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers. Blocks of Quaternary Monkey's Cave Sandstone are said to be ""still visible in gun embrasures fringing the cliffs of the southwest Europa coast."" This cave was described as ""Batterie de la Caverne"" in a French map of 1811 and Monkey Cave in 1859 and it was itself one of the few"
"non-slip shoes are recommended. St. Michael's Cave St. Michael's Cave or Old St. Michael's Cave is the name given to a network of limestone caves located within the Upper Rock Nature Reserve in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, at a height of over above sea level. According to Alonso Hernández del Portillo, the first historian of Gibraltar, its name is derived from a similar grotto in Monte Gargano near the Sanctuary of Monte Sant'Angelo in Apulia, Italy, where the archangel Michael is said to have appeared. It is the most visited of the more than 150 caves found inside"
"Rock, which is too steep to be climbed on its east and north sides. The only entrance to Gibraltar is via the west side of the Rock. A Moorish town occupied the strip of land along the west of the peninsula between the sea and the Rock. The northern approaches to the town were defended by a castle on the slopes of the rock, from which walls built in the Middle Ages ran down to the shore of the Bay of Gibraltar. A tower was built at the end of the wall by the Spanish after Ferdinand IV of Castile"
"was named as a part-owner along with Susan Magnier, wife of Coolmore owner John Magnier. Upon Rock of Gibraltar's retirement, Ferguson and John Magnier were involved in a dispute over the exact nature of the ownership of the horse. The dispute was settled out of court. His best sons include Hong Kong Cup winner and Epsom Derby runner-up Eagle Mountain, as well as Group One winners Samitar, Seventh Rock, Mount Nelson, Varenar and Society Rock. Rock of Gibraltar (horse) Rock of Gibraltar (IRE) (foaled 8 March 1999 in Ireland) is a Champion racehorse and stallion owned by Coolmore. The horse"
"aggressive behaviour as the monkeys came to associate humans with food. The problems culminated in 2008 with the Government of Gibraltar ordering the culling of a rogue group of monkeys that was breaking into hotel rooms and scavenging in bins in the Catalan Bay area. The cull was protested by researchers and animal rights campaigners but was justified by the Government on the grounds that the overly aggressive monkeys would frighten tourists and cause damage to the economy. The running-down of the British military presence in Gibraltar in the 1980s and 1990s forced the territory's Government to carry out a"
"waterholes during dry summer periods. Gibraltar's southerly latitude would have meant a fairly constant pattern of activity throughout the year due to the long days and mild climate, in contrast to the more abruptly seasonal lifestyle of the Neanderthals who lived further north. Animal remains found in the caves show that the Neanderthals were active hunters. Their predominant large prey appears to have been ibex, which would have been plentiful in the vicinity of the Rock. Red deer and other grazing animals are also well represented. More dangerous animals like wild boar, aurochs and rhino appear to have been avoided"
"Tourism in Gibraltar Tourism in Gibraltar constitutes one of the British Overseas Territory's most important economic pillars, alongside financial services and shipping. Gibraltar's main attractions are the Rock of Gibraltar and its resident population of Barbary macaques (or ""apes""), the territory's military heritage, duty-free shopping, casinos and marinas. Although the population of Gibraltar numbers only some 30,000 people, the territory recorded nearly 12 million visits in 2011, giving it one of the highest tourist-to-resident ratios in the world. The Government of Gibraltar has sought to develop the tourism sector to replace Gibraltar's former dependence on the British military, its chief"
"Museum said ""this natural richness of wildlife and plants in the nearby sandy plains, woodlands, shrublands, wetlands, cliffs and coastline probably helped the Neanderthals to persist."" Evidence at the cave shows the Neanderthals of Gibraltar likely used it as a shelter ""for 100,000 years."" Cro-Magnon man took over Gibraltar around 24,000 BCE. The Phoenicians are known to have visited the Rock circa 950 BC and named the Rock """"Calpe"""". The Carthaginians also visited. However, neither group appears to have settled permanently. Plato refers to Gibraltar as one of the Pillars of Hercules along with Jebel Musa or Monte Hacho on"
"the Rock of Gibraltar. Their cave had windows which allowed the engineers to work with natural light and they were able to see views across the Straits of Gibraltar to Africa. Monkey's Cave Monkey's Cave is a cave in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It has been used as part of the Fortifications of Gibraltar and in 1942 there was a convalescent hospital here. This building was later used as the HQ of the Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers. Blocks of Quaternary Monkey's Cave Sandstone are said to be ""still visible in gun embrasures fringing the cliffs of the"
"found years later in a vault at the Gibraltar Museum. These finds were rediscovered in a bag in 1991 by Prof. Clive Finlayson, Director of the Gibraltar Museum. They included stone tools, made mainly of red jasper and many mammal bones including the almost complete skull of an ibex, a wild mountain goat. In the bag was Palao's report and thus was able to establish where the finds came from. The stone artifacts were of Mousterian tradition, i.e. Neanderthal. A museum collaborator, Julio Gafan, was aware of this find and introduced Prof. Finlayson to one of the former workers at"
"as 28,000 to 24,000 BP, leading to suggestions that Gibraltar was one of the last places of Neanderthal habitation. Modern humans apparently visited the Gibraltar area in prehistoric times after the Neanderthal occupancy. While the rest of Europe was cooling, the area around Gibraltar back then resembled a European Serengeti. Leopards, hyenas, lynxes, wolves and bears lived among wild cattle, horses, deer, ibexes, oryxes and rhinos – all surrounded by olive trees and stone pines, with partridges and ducks overhead, tortoises in the underbrush and mussels, limpets and other shellfish in the waters. Clive Finlayson, evolutionary biologist at the Gibraltar"
"and aggressive ""Scolopendra cingulata"" centipede is also notable. Both the spider and the centipede have venomous but not fatal bites. Citations Sources Gibraltar Nature Reserve The Gibraltar Nature Reserve (formerly the Upper Rock Nature Reserve) is a protected nature reserve in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar that covers over 40% of the country's land area. It was established as the Upper Rock Nature Reserve in 1993 under the International Union for Conservation of Nature's category Ia (strict nature reserve) and was last extended in 2013. It is known for its semi-wild population of Barbary macaques, and is an important"
"Gibraltar Nature Reserve The Gibraltar Nature Reserve (formerly the Upper Rock Nature Reserve) is a protected nature reserve in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar that covers over 40% of the country's land area. It was established as the Upper Rock Nature Reserve in 1993 under the International Union for Conservation of Nature's category Ia (strict nature reserve) and was last extended in 2013. It is known for its semi-wild population of Barbary macaques, and is an important resting point for migrating birds. Originally named the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, it was limited to the upper part of the Rock"
"Gibraltar Rock (Western Australia) Gibraltar Rock is a granite outcrop south of Perth in Western Australia, and is in the Porongurup National Park. From the rock, which is high, Albany and the Great Southern Ocean can be seen. Since the 1970s, the Rock, along with some other local peaks, has become a popular venue for rock climbers. Gibraltar Rock is south of Perth, Western Australia. The rock is located in the Porongorups Range, which has thirteen total named peaks including Twin Peaks, The Devils Slide, Nancy Peak, Castle Rock, and Elephant Rock. From the peak of the rock, Albany and"
"there, occasionally including migrating flamingos. A Goliath heronry is located on a rocky islet in the lake known as Gibraltar. The lake is part of the East African Rift system. The Tugen Hills, an uplifted fault block of volcanic and metamorphic rocks, lies west of the lake. The Laikipia Escarpment lies to the east. Water flows into the lake from the Mau Hills and Tugen Hills. It is a critical habitat and refuge for more than 500 species of birds and fauna, some of the migratory waterbird species being significant regionally and globally. The lake also provides an invaluable habitat"
"""Historia de la Muy Noble y Más Leal Ciudad de Gibraltar"" (""History of the Very Noble and Most Loyal City of Gibraltar""), written between 1605 and 1610, Alonso Hernández del Portillo, the first chronicler of Gibraltar, wrote: In his ""History of Gibraltar"" (1782), Ignacio López de Ayala, a Spanish historian like Portillo, wrote of the monkeys: Repeated introduction of animals and the lack of reliable data concerning founders of the Gibraltar macaque population has obscured their origin. The fact that all extant Gibraltarian mtDNA haplotypes were also found in North Africa, combined with the lack of fossil evidence of M."