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, the Barbary Macaque is one of the best-known Old World monkey species. Besides humans, they are the only primates that live freely in Europe. Although the species is commonly referred to as the ''Barbary Ape'', the Barbary Macaque is a true monkey, not an ape.

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 monkeys.

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.

Kilde:Wikipedia