Barbary Ape

Barbary Ape, tailless macaque monkey (not a true ape), with a body about 61 cm (24 in) long and covered with greenish-brown hair. It is the only macaque native to regions outside Asia and is found in some parts of northern Africa. In the wild, the barbary ape lives in the high cedars and oak forests of the Atlas Mountains of Morocco and Algeria.

The barbary ape first occurred in Europe during the Pleistocene epoch (2.5 million to 10,000 years ago) and is now the only monkey found in this continent. The population is probably introduced, however, and is restricted to about 30 animals, found in Gibraltar; when the population exceeds this number, the additional animals are shipped to zoos.

Scientific classification: The barbary ape belongs to the family Cercopithecidae. It is classified as Macaca sylvanus.