- published: 18 May 2010
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The Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus), Barbary ape, or magot is a species of macaque unique for its distribution outside Asia and for its vestigial tail. Found in the Atlas Mountains of Algeria and Morocco along with a small population that were introduced from Morocco to Gibraltar, the Barbary macaque is one of the best-known Old World monkey species.
The Barbary macaque is of particular interest because males play an atypical role in rearing young. Because of uncertain paternity, males are integral to raising all infants. Generally, Barbary macaques of all ages and sexes contribute in alloparental care of young.
Macaque diets consist primarily of plants and insects and they are found in a variety of habitats. Males live to a maximum of 25 years while females may live up to 30 years. Besides humans, they are the only free-living primates in Europe. Although the species is commonly referred to as the "Barbary ape", the Barbary macaque is actually a true monkey. Its name refers to the Barbary Coast of North West Africa.
The Barbary Coast, or Berber Coast, was the term used by Europeans from the 16th until the 19th century to refer to much of the collective land of the Berber people. Today, the term Greater Maghreb or simply "Maghreb" corresponds roughly to "Barbary". The term "Barbary Coast" emphasizes the Berber coastal regions and cities throughout the middle and western coastal regions of North Africa – what is now Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. The English term "Barbary" (and its European varieties: Barbaria, Berbérie, etc.) referred mainly to the entire Berber lands including non-coastal regions, deep into the continent, as seen in European geographical and political maps published during the 17–20th centuries.
The name is derived from the Berber people of north Africa. In the West, the name commonly evoked the Barbary pirates and Barbary Slave Traders based on that coast, who attacked ships and coastal settlements in the Mediterranean and North Atlantic and captured and traded slaves or goods from Europe, America and sub-Saharan Africa which finally provoked the Barbary Wars. The slaves and goods were being traded and sold throughout the Ottoman Empire or to the Europeans themselves.
Morocco's Barbary macaque monkey is facing a battle for survival as poaching, tourists feeding them and loss of the species' natural habitat take their toll.
A student gives a Barbary Macaque a wrapped lollipop and the ape patiently opens it.
Barbary macaques in the Middle Atlas mountain, Morocco.
There are only about 8,000 Barbary macaques remaining in northern Africa. In many places they’re captured as house pets or tourist attractions, and their habitat is shrinking. An NGO is carrying out an information campaign to protect them.
Mother and child are playing together and then dad appears 😅
Korkeasaareen on tullut uusi lauma berberiapinoita. Kuuden apinan lauma on tuotu hollantilaisesta kädellisten pelastuskeskuksesta, jonne apinat ovat päätyneet huonoista oloista kukin tahoiltaan. Toisilleen vieraita yksilöitä on totutettu uudeksi laumaksi, jolle tarjottiin uusi koti Korkeasaaresta. Berberiapina on erittäin uhanalainen laji, joka elää Marokon ja Pohjois-Algerian viileissä vuoristometsissä. Lauman kolme vanhinta apinaa ovat 14-16-vuotiaita. Näistä yksi on lauman johtajauros. Loput lauman yksilöistä ovat alle 4-vuotiaita. Osa apinoista on ollut laittomina lemmikkeinä ahtaissa oloissa, eivätkä ne ole aiemmin eläneet muiden apinoiden kanssa. Laumaan kuuluu myös lakkautetusta yksityisestä eläintarhasta pelastettuja yksilöitä. Apinat ovat saaneet rauhassa tutustua uuteen kotiins...
Shakira my pet monkey! I get a lot of bad comments on here so here is a little info about my monkey before you decide to leave a negative comment. We saved this monkey from her cruel owners. I also agree they shouldn't be taken from the wild. I saw this monkey being treated poorly in a small cage with another 3 baby monkeys. The other monkeys were all hitting her. I couldn't stand to watch it so I offered to buy her from the man. He agreed for a small fortune. I took her home, fed and bathed her. She was nervous at first but she loved me like a mother. I took her to the vets and spent a lot on her. I saved her so say what you want. I couldn't release her back into the wild because she would die she cannot look after herself. What do you think is better that I left her with the horrible ...
We were certainly hoping to see the monkeys. We did more than that. Please excuse the camera shake when the monkey was on the cameraman's back twice, and the one time the cameraman evaded a leaping monkey. ; )