Manhandled by Apes

Two days ago I climbed to the top of the rock of Gibraltar to observe the wild Barbary apes in their natural habitat. They're really tail-less macaques, the only wild monkeys in all of Europe, and they're known for stealing food from tourists.

I followed a narrow trail near the summit and found myself surrounded by a small group. They were busily chattering, nibbling on fruit, and grooming each other. I pulled out my sketchbook and started drawing them. They're awfully shy about eye contact, so I used the sidelong glance technique that had worked earlier with gorillas (see previous post).

One of the juveniles perched behind me, watching over my shoulder, commenting on my technique to his compatriots. All of the sudden he leaped onto my shoulder. I held my breath. He watched every move of my hands, and then started grooming my neck and reaching down my shirt with his little cold fingers.

He dug into my pockets and found a couple pieces of a cracker. Then his friends came over. The guy on my shoulder must have wanted to mark me as his own, because he sent a little jet of pee down my neck.



When they realized I didn't have any more food they scampered off and left me with their memorable aroma.