FEATURE - Gibraltar's monkeys bode well for Britain
Date: 12-Feb-02
Country: GIBRALTAR
Author: Daniel Trotta
Gibraltarians also say their famous "Rock Apes" were saved from extinction by a telegram from wartime prime minister Winston Churchill.
These and other myths die hard in Gibraltar, a tiny peninsula on Spain's southern coast which has been in British hands since 1704.
And with Britain and Spain engaged in high-level talks about the future of the Mediterranean colony, the story about Churchill and the oversexed primates is starting to make the rounds.
As the story goes, the prime minister showed his famous resolve and vision by ordering more monkeys to Gibraltar during World War Two, when there were only seven left on the Rock.
The monkeys are now so prolific that scientists are considering contraceptive implants for some females - a sure sign, for some, that Spain may have some time to wait before laying claim to the Mediterranean outpost.
But intriguing as the story may sound, experts say there is no known link between primate survival and the diplomatic ties of two former European colonial powers.
Scientists are quick to add that the creatures are not apes but Barbary macaques, an endangered species in their natural habitat in Morocco.
John Cortes, the biologist in charge of the animals, said they are often confused for apes. "They just happen not to have tails," he said.
"They are neither docile nor terribly intelligent."
Today the semi-wild animals, which attract tourists to the top of Gibraltar's towering chunk of limestone, are thriving with a population of more than 200.
One group is prone to straying into town.
Cortes said some females are likely to receive contraceptive implants after giving birth this year.
"They do breed quite successfully and if left unchecked their population could double every five years. Now there are so many that there is no danger of the British leaving Gibraltar," he said, giving in to the myth for just a moment.
THE FINEST TELEGRAM
Churchill's role may have been overblown as well, a local historian said.
An aide to Churchill sent a telegram to Gibraltar during World War Two indicating that the prime minister had heard "disquieting rumours" about the animals and that he was "most anxious they should not be allowed to die out."
The telegram said Churchill had asked that the population not dip below 24.
More of the Barbary macaques were then captured from the cedar forests of Morocco's Atlas mountains and brought to Gibraltar.
But Gibraltar government archivist Tom Finlayson said Churchill was only one of many concerned about the animals.
"The fact is that local officials had already taken measures," Finlayson said.
Gibraltar was particularly strategic during the war because of its location just 20 km (12 miles) from the coast of northern Africa and at the choke point between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
Britain's 300-year-long control of Gibraltar has been a persistent irritant with its NATO ally Spain. Talks on its fate re-started in July 2001 after breaking off in 1987.
The two countries are seeking to find a solution to the dispute, possibly including joint sovereignty, which would then be presented to Gibraltar's residents in a referendum.