MONKEYING AROUND ON THE ROCK, THE BARBARY APES OF GIBRALTAR
Sep 04 '01 (Updated May 09 '05)
The Bottom Line "Gib" is an excellent day trip for those visiting Spain's Costa del Sol. Just remember if you plan on visiting its most famous residents, keep both hands on your wallet.
The woman cautiously offered a treat from her bag of candies to the outstretched paw. The ape however had other ideas. He quickly grabbed the bag and scurried back a few feet to his perch. There he sat and contentedly began to devour the whole bag while daring the tourist and other apes to try and take his snack away from him. Most of the tourists laughed at his antics, but for some it was a nervous laugh and we took a tighter grip on our own treats.
One of the most well known attractions of Gibraltar, second only to the famous rock itself, are the bands of semi wild apes that live there. The Barbary Apes of Gibraltar are the only wild primates in all of Europe. There are approximately 200 apes in several extended families or packs scattered among the higher reaches of the "rock" mainly near the Upper Siege tunnels and at the "Apes Den" near the cable car station. The later is a regular stop on all the tours.
Candy stealing aside, the apes are used to humans and tolerate the daily procession of tourists who come and watch them play. They will allow you to get close and feed them and even pose for pictures. Some of the older ones will even ham it up for the cameras as long as you treat them. Although they are wild animals, there are only two things to be careful of, as the tour guides point out.
First never try to get too close to the baby apes. Like most animals, the mothers are very protective. Secondly, as in the case of the candy lady, be careful of anything in your hands especially food and/or shiny objects. As far as the apes are concerned anything they can grab they will, and they'll keep it. Somewhere in the crevices on the side of the rock it is rumoured there is a cache of sunglasses, jewelry, cameras, and other items that used to belong to tourists who didn't heed their guides warnings.
No one is quite sure of how the apes came to Gibraltar in the first place. One theory is that they arrived with the British soldiers and sailors as pets. There is however no records to support this idea.
Another theory is that they may have migrated from Africa perhaps through a subterranean tunnel under the Mediterranean Sea. This theory may not be as far fetched as it seems. It is only fifteen miles across the straight to Morocco and the only other known colonies of Barbary Apes are found in the Middle Atlas Mountains of that country and neighboring Algeria.
Not only does no one seem to know where the apes come from, but no one is quite sure where they go when they die. No one has ever found the remains of any of the colony's deceased apes. It appears that they seem to know when it is their time and disappear into the wilds of the mountain to some undiscovered ape graveyard.
While the local Government may not know where the apes go when they die, they do ensure that the apes while alive are well cared for. The former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, once remarked that the British flag would continue to fly over Gibraltar as long as the apes remained there.
Someone must have taken his words literally for the apes are the most privileged residents of Gibraltar. Care of the apes was originally the responsibility of the British Army and now rests with the local Government. Proof of their preferential treatment is that if an ape becomes ill it is treated at the local military hospital. Citizens of Gibraltar, military aside, are usually not allowed this privilege.
One antic of the apes that is not appreciated by the residents is their habit of visiting the town. On occasion some will stroll down the mountain and into the streets. Here they amuse themselves by breaking windshield wipers off cars and other acts of petty vandalism. The local police must then catch the ape, place him in the back of a police car, something the ape usually objects to rather forcefully, and drive them back up to their den.
One local policeman noted that noisy drunken sailors from the old days were less of a problem to get into the car than a fun loving Barbary Ape. The sailors usually stayed put once their celebrations were curtailed. As for the apes, the minute they're set free on top of the mountain they turn around and head back downtown again.
Other Articles on Gibraltar
Gibraltar
http://www.epinions.com/content_2656477316
Ye Olde Rock Pub
http://www.epinions.com/content_31584194180
Day Trip to Gibraltar
http://www.epinions.com/content_2351865988
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
JAMES23
|
 - Top 200 |
|
Member: James Smith
Location: Toronto Ontario CANADA
Reviews written: 450
Trusted by: 222 members
About Me:
I'm back
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.