Barbary Macaque: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Monkeys of Africa and Asia · day 2 of 7

Five facts

1. Gibraltar's macaques are the only Old World monkeys living in Europe. About 300 of them make their home on the Rock.
2. It has hardly any tail. If there is one at all, it is a tiny stub with no bones, just 4 to 22 mm long.
3. Unlike most monkey dads, males are hands-on babysitters. They carry and look after infants for hours at a time.
4. A male often greets another male by showing him a baby. Sharing an infant this way helps keep the peace between them.
5. During World War II, Winston Churchill ordered more Barbary macaques to be brought to Gibraltar so their numbers would stop falling.

The quiz

1. Where in Europe do Barbary macaques live?

• Gibraltar (correct)
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Malta

About 300 live on the Rock of Gibraltar.

2. What is unusual about the Barbary macaque's tail?

• It is longer than its body
• It is bushy like a squirrel's
• It is a tiny stub, or missing (correct)
• It can grip branches

Its boneless tail is tiny, just a few millimetres long, or absent.

3. What do male Barbary macaques do that most male monkeys do not?

• Live alone all year
• Carry and care for babies for hours (correct)
• Build nests for the babies
• Never go near the young

Males carry infants and look after them for hours at a time.

4. What happens when a male shows a baby to another male?

• They swap the baby for food
• They teach the baby to swim
• They lead the baby to water
• It helps reduce fights between them (correct)

Sharing an infant acts as a buffer and cuts down conflicts among males.

5. Who ordered more Barbary macaques to be brought to Gibraltar during World War II?

• Charles Darwin
• Queen Victoria
• Winston Churchill (correct)
• Napoleon

Churchill wanted to reverse the fall in their numbers.

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