Sentenced to Scotland:  Gibraltar's stealing monkeys exiled

This story courtesy of The Olive Press, the local fortnightly English language paper:

http://www.theolivepress.es/

Gibraltar’s 30 cheekiest apes sent to live in Scotland

PUBLISHED: OCTOBER 15, 2014 AT 1:23 PM  •  LAST EDITED: OCTOBER 15, 2014 AT 1:23 PM
GIBRALTAR, LEAD2  •  5 COMMENTS

GIBRALTAR’S 30 worst offending barbary apes have been sent to Scotland after too much monkeying around on The Rock.

The apes – who have been harassing locals, rummaging through bins and pick-pocketing tourists – have been transported to Blair Drummond Safari Park, near Stirling.

The move is the first large-scale export of the apes away from The Rock since the 1990s and will prevent Gibraltar’s environmental agency culling the iconic animals.

Gibraltar’s environment minister John Cortes said: “This was the group that was giving us the most problems.

“It is sad to see them go, but they will be going to an ­excellent home and it is so much better than culling them.

“We wish our monkeys a safe journey and a happy future in Scotland.”

The marauding macaques – 11 males and 19 females – were identified as Gibraltar’s most mischievous by the environmental agency after officials monitored their movements.

There are still around 200 apes on the Rock and according to folklore, The Rock would cease to be British if the monkeys leave.

This was reinforced by Winston Churchill during the Second World War, when he shipped extra monkeys from Morocco to bolster their population.

Barbary apes are also found in the Rif mountains, in northern Morocco.