Barbary Apes, Gibraltar

Can you see the fright on my eyes? Although the Barbary Apes are somewhat people friendly, nonetheless they are animals and can turn an attack at any time. I was not about to get mauled by this ape and posed with a bit of fright.

As I approaced this ape, he moved so slightly away from me while still transfixed on the people crowded around me to have their pic taken with the Ape. He was really scooping out the crowd for food.

The apes are one of the most memorable things about Gibraltar. As your driver winds around the single lane, solid stone roads, making his way up the mountain to the apes, you will encounter some colonies of apes early on. They may decide to jump on your car and beat on the roof or window for you to give them food. It is wise not to give in to this temptation, as they are wild animals. The car ahead of me stopped in the road for a moment to take pictures (views are unbelievable of the Med, Africa, Europe, etc.,) They left their sliding door to their van open. In just a few moments, apes took over the van, rummaging through their belongings, some leaving with plastic bags on their arms, hissing at the people who tried to retrieve their bags. I think it was the funniest thing I saw on my trip. A driver will take several hours with you, driving you to all the viewpoints, and proudly show you their city. (My driver was a 7th generation Scot transplant) Very honest, and very professional. About 40 euros for the trip. A real deal.

The Apes are like a bunch of naughty children.They are like a bunch of 5 year old kids, they are fun,entertaining but can get upto michief.So watch out for your food,tobacco,Cameras anything they are not afraid to snatch them.
Most entertaining ones i saw was one who fell asleep on one of the buses and another attempting to pull out a car aerial.it costs about 50p to see them but its well worth it.

As I said above, the monkeys are used to tourists and love to pose for pictures. If you let them, they'll sit on your head, then jump on top of the car and do their best to show off. And when the show is over they just sit there bored to death and wait for the next group of tourists.

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The Barbary Apes or (Macaques) are a tailless species and in Gibraltar, are today the only free living primate in Europe. Tourists can get quite close to them up at the Apes Den. You will see then wandering around, sitting on the fence or hanging off the mirrors of the tour buses.

The apes are looked after by the government and are fed by the army. They are apparently all registered and even given names to keep track of the birth and death rate.

The apes are worth seeing and may come over to you and sit on your shoulder just dont forget dont approach them let them approach you. They are wild animals and may bite but are also worth going to see as they are the only apes in Europe. It is said that if the apes leaves Gibraltar then british will leave.

At the Apes' Den (Queen's Gate) and in the area of the Great Siege Tunnels you have the rare opportunity to see semi-wild primates at close quarters. If you let them, the monkeys will be their captivating selves and show you aspects of their everyday lives.

The Apes are a species of tailless monkeys called Barbary Macaques. These Macaques can be found in Morocco and Algeria, with those in Gibraltar being the only free-living monkeys in Europe today.

See the Barbary Apes, natives of the Barbary coast of North Africa. You won't have to look very hard to see them. Several visitors to this page have asked:'Where are the Apes?'. Well, my photos were not very clear, but I've added them just to stop the questions in future haha!