The Barbary Macaque is the unofficial national animal of Gibraltar, but they are actually monkeys, not apes. It is unknown how they came to be in Gibraltar however. Most people think they were brought by the Moors from Northern Africa between 711 and 1492, but others think that they adapted from macaque populations that could be found in Southern Europe during the Pliocene era, about 5.5 million.
Most tourists travel to Gibraltar to see the apes which are allowed to roam free and people can get as close to them as they want. However it is advised not to try to touch them or to feed them as they can get quite violent and there have been occurrences of purse snatching and food being taken right out of peoples' hands.
The Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society is currently responsible for taking care of the apes and every day they get fresh water and lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, fruit and seeds, so that they don't feel the need to scrounge for food. They are also detained on a regular basis so that a vet can check their health, body size, and weight.
Barbary Macaque (aka Barbary Ape), Macaca sylvanus, The Rock of Gibraltar, Gibraltar, Britain, United Kingdom.
I photographed this photo with the digital SLR camera model Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III, aperture of f/5.6, exposure time of 1/500 sec. on ISO 100, as always I used a original Canon Lens, the focus lenght for this picture was 200mm.
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