The Apes are a species of tailless monkeys called Barbary Macaques. These Macaques can be found in Morocco and Algeria, with those in Gibraltar being the only free-living monkeys in Europe today. They can be seen mostly at the Apes Den and in the area of the Great Siege. If you let them, the monkeys will be their captivating selves and show you aspects of their everyday lives.

Adult males are the largest and have big narrow faces. Females have an unmistakable black/grey beard on their chins and sexual swellings on the rumps. Babies have black fur until about 4 months old.

Male Macaques live for about 15 to 17 years and females live 18 to 22 years.
Every birth and death is recorded and each ape is given an official name at birth.

Babies are born every summer after five to six months gestation. Most group members can be seen playing with or resting with infants, regardless of their relationship to them. Often females are content to let others help care for the babies after the first few days.

Male Barbary Macaques are unusual amongst primates in that they take a friendly, close interest in infants. You can often see males carrying babies or keeping an eye on them. Sometimes this communal infant care causes stress, you may see pouting, threats and tooth-chattering when a mother disputes custody of her baby with an over enthusiastic baby-sitter.

The apes spend about 20% of their day grooming each other keeping their furs clean.

In 1915 the Government provided money for the Army to feed the monkeys in order reduce the roaming and marauding that occurred, responsibility for the monkeys has now reverted back to the Government of Gibraltar. The monkeys often supplement their diet with a few wild plants and can sometimes be seen foraging in the early morning.

They spend over 30% of their day interacting with visitors but one must remember that they are still semi-wild animals. They need time to rest and take part in other 'monkey activities', free from interference.