Thirty of Gibraltar’s macaques will next week be flown to the UK to a safari park in Scotland, as part of the Government’s ongoing Barbary Macaque Management Programme. Detailing the mission this morning at a press conference, Environment Minister Dr. John Cortes explained that monkeys from the Middle Hill troop, which frequents urban areas most in Gibraltar, will be relocated to a new home at Blair Drummond Wildlife Park in Stirling, Scotland.

The macaques, of which ten are adults, two are young adults, six are sub adults, nine are juveniles and three are infants, will fly via a chartered plane, to Gatwick, and will then be transferred to Scotland, accompanied by two members of the macaque management team.

Responding to recent reports in the UK press, Dr. Cortes insisted that calling the macaques ‘exiles’ and ‘thieves’ was putting a negative spin on them. He insisted that they were Ambassadors of Gibraltar. The decision to relocate this pack in particular was taken following a scientific study carried out by Professor Augustus Fuentes in conjunction with National Geographic, which determined which troops moved where and how often.

The macaques will live in a habitat of just over two acres, with outdoor and indoor areas for them to roam in. The habitat has been fitted with climbable mounds to emulate the Rock and will also be surrounded by large trees to climb. With breeding an imperative part of the monkeys leading a healthy life, the park is looking to take numbers up to forty or forty-five.

Dr. Cortes insisted that it was crucial for Gibraltar to work together with the Department of the Environment to ensure that other Macaque troops did not become more urbanized. He noted that the public should report urban viewings and be sure that bin stores in residential estates are left closed, and monkeys are not fed. He noted that it was impossible to predict what the 160 monkeys left on the Rock will do, but it is imperative that people enforce the macaque management tactics.

The transfer of the animals cost the Government just under £37,000 including the privately chartered flight and transfer from Gatwick airport. Dr. Cortes did not rule out relocating more troops in the future.