International Primate Protection League (UK)

The Gibraltar government continues to cull its famous "Barbary Apes" (actually monkeys) as a means of population control. Sometimes whole groups are killed when they "cause a nuisance" in residential areas.

Experts have recommended humane measures to control numbers and avoid problem behaviour for over a decade, yet these have gone unheeded, even when made by the group appointed by the government to manage the monkeys, the Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society (GONHS).

Tourism: The government refers to them as "Gibraltar's most famous residents". Many tourists cite them as the most exciting part of their trip. All visitors to the Upper Rock pay an admission fee, most of which goes directly to the government. Records show that the monkeys' presence results in millions of pounds in revenue every year. If the government would reinvest just a fraction of this in responsible management, the situation would be better for monkeys and residents alike.

The ban: Feeding the monkeys has officially been banned since the early 1900s; signs state that the penalty is a £500 fine. However, in a statement issued by GONHS, they stated that there have NEVER been any prosecutions, and there is still NO enforcement of the feeding ban.

Wardens: For years, experts have insisted that there must be full-time wardens on the Upper Rock Reserve. Without supervision, tourists and tour operators flout the feeding ban on an hourly basis. Studies show that unauthorised feeding trains the monkeys to associate people with food. Also, visitors will unwittingly "reward" a monkey by dropping food after a display of aggression, thereby encouraging this behaviour.

Provisioning: The monkeys are provisioned with healthy food daily by GONHS. These primates are hierarchical, which means that, if food for a troop is all in one spot, the "Alpha" monkeys gorge themselves while subordinate ones must seek food elsewhere. GONHS has requested enlarged feeding areas for food distribution but instead there is still just one tiny area per group.

Rubbish: Covering open rubbish tips and monkey-proofing bins in residential areas is often all it takes to solve the problem, with monkeys moving away from the area once these temptations are removed.

Education: Local residents and tourists need to know the negative impact of feeding. Full-time wardens should be on the Upper Rock giving talks on the behaviour of the monkeys and why it is essential that they only eat their healthy food provisions. Gibraltarians need to be well-informed about what they can do to deter the monkeys from their properties.

Endangered: The Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvana), which is actually a species of monkey, is classifed as "facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild" by the IUCN.

What you can do to help

Please sign the petition to stop the culling of Gibraltars' monkeys.

Please write to the Chief Minister, telling him that you are opposed to the government’s continued use of culling as a means of population control:

The Hon. Peter R. Caruana Q.C., Chief Minister
GOVERNMENT OF GIBRALTAR
Office of the Chief Minister
No. 6 Convent Place
Gibraltar