Barbary Macaque
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? Barbary Macaque Conservation status: Vulnerable
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| Macaca sylvanus ( Linnaeus, 1758) |
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The Barbary Macaque (Macaca sylvanus) is a tail-less macaque. Found in the Atlas Mountains of Algeria and Morocco with a small, possibly introduced, population in Gibraltar, Barbary Macaques are among the best-known monkeys. Besides humans, they are the only primates that live freely in Europe. Although the species is commonly referred to as the "Barbary Ape", Barbary Macaques are true monkeys, not apes.
They are yellowish-brown to grey with lighter undersides, growing to a maximum of 75 centimetres (30 inches) in length and 13 kilograms in weight. Their faces are a dark pink and their tails are vestigial. Their front limbs are longer than their hind limbs. Females are somewhat smaller than males.
Dwelling in forests of cedar, pine and oak, Barbary Macaques may frequent elevations of 2,100 metres or more. They are diurnal animals, dividing their time more or less equally between arboreal and terrestrial territory. Mostly herbivorous, the monkeys feed on leaves, roots, and fruit, but will also eat insects. By day, Barbary Macaques patrol a territory which may span several square kilometres; they peacefully co-exist with other primate species, sharing watering holes without incident. Barbary Macaques move about energetically on all fours, occasionally rising erect on their hind limbs to survey for threats.
Barbary Macaques are gregarious monkeys, forming mixed groups of several females and males; the troop of 10-30 individuals is matriarchal, with its hierarchy determined by lineage to the lead female. Unlike other macaques, the males participate in rearing the young; much time is spent playing and grooming with them. In this way, a strong social bond is formed between a male and his offspring, both the male's own and those of others in the troop. This may be a result of selectiveness on the part of the females, who seem to prefer highly parental males.
The mating season runs from November through March. After a gestation period of 147-192 days, typically one baby per female is born; twins are a rarity. The monkeys reach maturity at 3-4 years of age, and may live for 20 years or more.
The habitat of the Barbary Macaque is under threat from increased logging activity; they are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List. Local farmers see the monkeys as pests worthy of extermination. Once common throughout northern Africa and southern Europe, there are estimated to be just 1,200-2,000 Barbary Apes left.
The last population in Europe is that of Gibraltar, which unlike that of North Africa is thriving. At present there are some 300 animals in five troops occupying the area of the Upper Rock, though occasional forays into the town result in monkey mayhem.
The Gibraltar population was under the care of the British Army from 1915 to 1991, who carefully controlled a population that initially consisted of a single troop. An officer was appointed to supervise their welfare, and a food allowance was included in the budget. Births were gazetted in true military fashion, and each new arrival was named. Following the withdrawal of the British garrison, the government of Gibraltar took over responsibility for the apes.
A popular belief holds that as long as Barbary Macaques exist on Gibraltar the territory will remain under British rule; it is said that during World War II Winston Churchill specifically ordered the dwindling population to be replenished for this reason.
Many of the mistaken ideas about human physiology contained in the writings of Galen are apparently due to his use of these animals, the anthropoid available to him, in dissections. A strong cultural taboo of his era prevented his performing any actual dissections of human cadavers, even in his role as physician and teacher of physicians.