Yes there are ‘almost’ wild monkeys in Europe! A population of Barbary macaques – which are native to North Africa – resides on the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, a headland covering just a few square kilometres off the southern coast of Spain.
But as the animals are provided with water and supplementary food (by the Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society) and medical care (by the Gibraltar Veterinary Clinic), they should strictly speaking be called semi-wild, or free-ranging.
Nobody knows for sure how the monkeys made it to Gibraltar, though one popular theory is that they were introduced as pets by the Moors, who conquered the Iberian Peninsula in the 8th century. Today, the population is thought to number about 230 animals, living in six groups that each comprise 25-70 individuals.
The monkeys attract tourists, but the influx of visitors coming to see the animals is a double-edged sword, with illegal feeding leading to erratic, sometimes aggressive behaviour.
Main image: Barbary macaque © Getty Images