Monkeys

Robert's Thoughts

Comments (2) / July 31, 2024

My buddy Bill turned seventy a couple of days ago and we decided to host a serious dinner in his honour. The event turned out to be a great success, mostly, I suspect, because I made sure that the wine kept flowing, and so did the Champagne (Veuve Clicquot) during the consumption of a magnificent dessert – an Esterhazy Torte complete with candles and spectacular sparklers.

A great number of toasts were offered, all wishing Bill a long and healthy life, and expressing hope that our friendship will endure, to which he responded by informing us that he had purchased a house in Portugal.

“Whereabouts?” I asked.

 “In the Algarve, near Faro.”

“That’s about two hundred kilometers North of Gibraltar as the crow flies, right?”

“Right. But what’s so special about Gibraltar?”

“The monkeys.”

Bill looked at me blankly. Apparently, he did not know about the Monkeys of Gibraltar.

Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory and headland, on Spain’s south coast. It’s dominated by the Rock of Gibraltar, a 426 meter-high limestone ridge. First settled by the Moors in the Middle Ages and later ruled by Spain, the outpost was ceded to the British in 1713. (Wikipedia)

The monkeys are actually Barbary macaques originally from Morocco. Debate remains about when and how they arrived. By the time the British captured Gibraltar in 1704, the macaque population had already been established. They wouldn’t have survived if people didn’t care for them. Historically, there was no water supply in Gibraltar and the vegetation is sparse. The British governors put in policy an edict that you couldn’t shoot the monkeys. Today, they are a huge draw for tourists.

There are about 300 monkeys. They hang out in seven different groups and mostly stay near the top of the rock. Occasionally some monkeys venture into town.

The monkeys were so important to the British authorities that their care was entrusted to the army. Not only was each monkey given a serial number but also a name. They had names like Elizabeth, for the Queen, and Winston, for former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. The soldiers who cared for the monkeys did the same job for decades.

A popular belief holds that as long as Barbary macaques exist on Gibraltar, the territory will remain under British rule. In 1942 (during World War II), after the population dwindled to just seven monkeys, UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered their numbers to be replenished immediately from forest fragments in both Morocco and Algeria because of this traditional belief. (Canadian Geographic)

2 Responses to :
Monkeys

  1. Louise Garin says:

    Problem is…monkeys carry very bad bacteria and can make you quite sick!!!!
    Had a friend in Mexico whose wife kept on having miscarriages (they already had 3 children) and they went to the States to have her checked and they discovered that on one of their trips to I can’t remember where, she had handled a monkey and it passed on this bacteria which made her have miscarriages. All fixed now…

  2. Rosalie mickle says:

    Yes! The monkeys of Gibraltar I remember them …though not by name 🤣!
    I have to admit I was very glad to only encounter a few there who thankfully showed as little interest in me as I did in them.
    The reason being I’ve had ‘snarly’ encounters with various others of this species. So I’m content to let them go about their business & happy if they leave me out it.
    Nevertheless it was interesting to read the history surrounding those in particular 😎👍🏻
    Glad you know you’re well & enjoying life ✌🏼

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