Jan 29 - Apes To Be Captured For Exportation As Government Announces “Firm Action”
The Department of the Environment is taking firm action as part of its Macaque Management Plan to deal with what it sees as the “historic lack of control” of the ape population and to deal with the current concerns about groups of macaques frequenting built up areas.
Additional staff are immediately being deployed later this week to areas of concern in order to push the animals away to their traditional sites.
Other steps include setting up additional feeding areas within the Upper Rock. In addition, works are about to commence on improvements to the macaque sites on the Upper Rock, which will include a series of ponds, which will also benefit other wildlife.
Clearing operations to increase their feeding habitat will continue, and food will be provided in these areas in order to increase their interest for the macaques.
Most importantly, discussions are now almost finalised with a respected third party which wishes to take a group of macaques which would be exported from Gibraltar in the spring. To this end holding facilities, which have veterinary approval, have just been completed and are being equipped so that the macaques in question can be kept there in preparation for the exportation. The programme of capturing the monkeys will now be starting. The packs which will first be targeted for capture will be those which are pestering built up areas and schools.
Dr John Cortes, Minister for the Environment said: "This marks the beginning of real progress in dealing with macaque numbers that have been allowed to get out of control. By exporting and neutering we are controlling numbers without having to cull, as we are committed to doing. This is an excellent step forward that will produce the required results for our community."
