Extra personnel to be deployed across Nature Reserve to prevent illegal feeding of macaques

Extra personnel will be deployed to key areas of the Nature Reserve to ensure macaques are not fed illegally.

This follows the publication of a recent paper, published in Scientific reports, which served to highlight the biological impacts of illegal feeding and reinforced the need to curtail it.

The Government highlights the work it's done to improve the management of the Rock’s Barbary macaques, including legislation regarding interference and feeding. It claims there's still a minority who chooses to ignore guidance and the law, and touch, tease or feed them, despite it being well known that this is detrimental to the monkeys.

Number Six believes balancing the conservation needs of the Gibraltar Nature Reserve with visitor pressure and illegal feeding remains a challenge with research continuing apace, with new projects being announced this Spring

The Macaques, it says, are fed twice daily by a dedicated team of experienced macaque keepers and conservation assistants.  

The Government claims the past 15 years have seen improvements in the resources and facilities available. Aside from the provisioning of food, it says, a network of purpose-built freshwater ponds were built in the Nature Reserve. 

New foraging areas, will be created by clearing dense undergrowth, after the bird nesting season which will also favour other species in the reserve aside.

In addition to a range of conservation measures, the Department of the Environment says that together with the Tourist Board, it will be engaging all stakeholders to ensure the Government's objectives are aligned for the benefit of the macaques and the Nature Reserve visitor experience.