About the project

The Gibraltar Macaques Project, established since 2022, studies the behaviour, ecology, adaptations and conservation of the population of free-ranging Barbary Macaques (Macaca sylvanus) living in Gibraltar.  

 

This inter-disciplinary project addresses research questions revolving around the interactions between humans and macaques in this human-primate interface, the social dynamics within and between groups, the population history and how distinctive and similar is this peculiar population as compared to other populations of Barbary macaques, and to other primates in general. Questions on the adaptability of the population to changing environmental conditions, and how their behavioural flexibility is expressed are also of interest. 

 

Involved methods include non-invasive sampling of behaviour, activities, ranging, social interactions, interactions with humans and demography, coupled with non-invasive biological and ecological sampling.