Barbary Macaque
Macaca sylvanus
Conservation Status
EndangeredMammalia · Primates · Cercopithecidae
About
The Barbary macaque is a macaque species native to the Atlas Mountains of Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco, along with a small introduced population in Gibraltar. It is the type species of the genus Macaca. From the Early Pliocene to the Late Pleistocene, until around 85-40,000 years ago, it was widely distributed in Europe. Today, the Barbary macaques in Gibraltar are the only Old World monkeys in Europe. About 300 individuals live on the Rock of Gibraltar. This population appears to be stable or increasing, while the North African population is declining.
Fun Fact
Barbary macaques are the only wild primates in Europe, living on the Rock of Gibraltar, and a legend holds that Britain will lose Gibraltar when the last macaque leaves — so the British Army officially manages the troop.
Quick Facts
Habitat
Montane forests and scrublands
Diet
Omnivore
Lifespan
20-25 years
Threats
- Poaching
- Deforestation
- Wildfire
- Genetic Bottleneck