The
Barbary macaque population in
Gibraltar is the only wild monkey population in the
European continent, and, unlike that of North Africa, it is thriving. At present, some 300 animals in five troops occupy the area of the Upper Rock area of the
Gibraltar Nature Reserve, though occasional forays into the town may result in damage to personal property. As they are a tailless species, they are also known locally as Barbary apes or rock apes, despite being
monkeys (
Macaca sylvanus). The local people simply refer to them as
monos when conversing in Spanish or
Llanito (the local
vernacular).