In the western side of Europe, where the Mediterranean Sea touches the cold waters of the ocean, a small community of free-range apes lives and thrives. Nestled in the upper rock of Gibraltar, this colony of Barbary macaques consists of around three hundred individuals. These macaques are organised in socially complex and highly territorial groups known as “troupes,” and for centuries have shared their territory with humankind. In its six square Kilomiters, Gibraltar stands as the only European territory where two primate species coexist. The early written evidence of their presence came through English settlers of the 18th century, following the British Empire’s conquest of Gibraltar from Spain. It is likely that the settlement of the first specimens that gave rise to the colony occurred quite accidentally during the rule of the Caliphate of Spain, around the year AD 1000, but the precise genesis of this colony is still debated and uncertain.

The precarious balance established between macaques and the local population repeatedly endangered the survival of the colony itself, reducing their numbers to fewer than ten during the years of the Second World War. At the wish of Winston Churchill, fertile specimens from North Africa were introduced to prevent the inevitable disappearance of the species on the continent. In the decades that followed, the British Crown extended protection to the macaques, transforming their image from a
daily nuisance to a living emblem of the British legacy on the continent.

Today, they are a vivid national symbol, and animal tourism has become a vital source of income for Gibraltar. Every day floods of tourists cross the Spanish border expecting to meet a bizarre and exotic human-like creature. Often, the large caravans of taxis and organised tours end up generating friction with the more territorial males.The younger, cunning and hungry, often engage in playful thefts, swiping food and belongings from visitors.

Gibraltar’s rocky promontory has shaped a metaphorical “golden cage” for these apes, confining them within the national reserve while surrounded by urban sprawl. This confinement however offers a safeguard from natural predators and human-made hazards. Compared to their North African cousins, classified as endangered due to deforestation and illegal wildlife trafficking, the Gibraltar apes can live beyond twenty-five years.

My first encounter with the colony took place in March 2023, and with the support of Brian, a local primatologist and long-time wildlife advocate, I continued my visual research until August of the same year. I found myself mesmerised by the expressiveness of their gestures, their states of fierce readiness and submissive vulnerability, their blissful leisure, and the mutual social support while grooming.

I deliberately avoided the human presence, despite its predominant role in the lives of most of these creatures. The time spent with them deepened my awareness of how our species essences are alike and connected. Their gazes remained inscrutable; some sparkled with curiosity, others with caution, and still others appeared completely indifferent, perhaps resigned to the relentless human influence that surrounds them day after day.