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Barbary macaque
"There are around 300 Barbary macaques living in Gibraltar, in the south of Spain. This makes it the only species of monkey found in Europe."
Discover in real lifeHabitat:
High elevation forests and coastal areas in northern Africa
Food:
fruit, young leaves, bark, roots and insects
Lifespan:
20 to 25 years
Weight:
10 to 15 pounds
Number of young:
1 young
Carrying time:
5.5 months
IUCN status:
endangered
EEP:
yes
Who's the boss?
Barbary macaques live in groups of around 25 animals. There is a strict hierarchy within the group. Barbary macaques that are high in rank, get to eat first and can sleep in the best trees. Every macaque knows their place. This way, there is little fighting within the group. Young females get the same rank as their mother. Males go to a different group when they become adults. They must earn their place in the new group.
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Theme area: Social or Solitary
You can see the Barbary macaque in the ‘Social or Solitary’ theme area. Here, you’ll discover how animals live alone or in groups, and what the benefits of each are.
Habitat and threats
Only about 1,500 to 3,000 Barbary macaques still live in the wild in Algeria, 8,000 to 9,000 in Morocco and about 300 in Gibraltar. They live mainly in forests at high altitudes, including in the Rif and Atlas mountains. In the past, Barbary macaques were found in a much larger area: before recently even in Europe, and as recently as the 1970s, with more than 20,000 animals scattered across North Africa.
The biggest threat to Barbary macaques is the disappearance of habitat due to logging, overgrazing and climate change. Barbary macaques need vegetation to hide from predators such as eagles and jackals. Barbary macaques are also increasingly coming into contact with humans. Tourists feed the monkeys, which leads to disease and disruption of the group's hierarchy that can lead to quarrels and break up groups. Also, an estimated 200 Barbary macaques are illegally captured each year and smuggled into Europe to be sold as pets.
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Species conservation in Eindhoven Zoo
Did you know that more than 10,000 animal species in the world are in danger of becoming extinct? Eindhoven Zoo works with about 325 European zoos to conserve these species. We ensure healthy reserve populations through management programs (EEPs). Together we form the European Zoo Association (EAZA).
The Barbary macaques at Eindhoven Zoo are also part of an EEP. A coordinator keeps a studbook of the species and manages the population in zoos. Together with a committee, the coordinator gives advice on which animals are allowed to have offspring together. Sometimes that means moving a Barbary macaque to another zoo. In this way we increase the chance of healthy young and the survival of the species. You can recognize animal species with an EEP by the logo of a rhino with a calf.