Context
In a recent observation from Gibraltar, scientists have found that Barbary macaques are engaging in geophagy – eating soil – which appears to help them neutralize the harmful effects of consuming junk food originating from human tourism activity.
About Barbary Macaque
- Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus): A primate species that is one of about 25 macaque types worldwide. It is unique because it lives outside Asia and is the only non-human primate found in North Africa and parts of Europe.
- It belongs to the Cercopithecidae family and is grouped under Old World monkeys.
- Naturally occurs in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco and Algeria. A small population is also present in Gibraltar, introduced from Morocco.
- These monkeys live in mountains, rocky cliffs, and valleys. They are commonly found in cedar forests but can also survive in oak forests, mixed woodlands, coastal rocky areas, and grasslands.
- They have thick yellowish-brown fur with a lighter underside. Their face is dark pink, hairless, and has a narrow nose. They have strong jaws, long canine teeth, and cheek pouches to store food. Their front legs are longer than the back legs, and they do not have a tail, which is why they are sometimes called “Barbary apes.”
- Size: They grow to about 45–70 cm in height and weigh around 10–16 kg.
- They are omnivores, mainly eating leaves, fruits, and roots, but also insects and small animals like caterpillars, frogs, and tadpoles when available.
- They are active during the day.
- Barbary macaques are alloparental animals, which means that every adult in the group—both males and females—takes shared responsibility for raising and caring for all the young, rather than limiting care to their own offspring.
- They also have social ranking systems, with females forming strong family-based (matrilineal) hierarchies.
- Their survival is affected by habitat loss due to logging, wildfires, expanding human settlements, hunting, and illegal capture of young monkeys for the pet trade.
- They are listed in Appendix I of CITES and are classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
