(Gibraltar Chronicle / Brian Reyes) Unruly behaviour by Gibraltar's iconic monkeys could drive tourists away from the Rock, two local hoteliers have warned. A string of recent incidents (see CP items here) has intensified concerns that some groups of Barbary Macaques are out of control. It is a problem that has long affected locals in some parts of the Upper Town, but it is now hitting the tourist trade too.>
At the Caleta Hotel on the east side and The Rock Hotel on the west, balconies have become primate playgrounds. Many visitors feel intimidated by the animals.
And where once the monkeys stayed outside, tourists often now find them rummaging for sweet food inside hotel rooms.
For the hoteliers, the situation poses an uncomfortable dilemma: while the monkeys attract visitors to the Rock and therefore business for hotels, they say the present situation is unsustainable.
"It's now become problematic and we are worried for the safety of the guests," said Stephen Davenport, general manager at The Rock Hotel.
"It could have an impact on the business and tourism."
In one respect The Rock has been fortunate. Despite an increase in the number of incidents over the past few months, none of its clients has actually been bitten.
Elsewhere, others have not been that lucky. At the Caleta Hotel last week, a guest had to be taken to hospital after being bitten by a monkey while on the second floor of the hotel.
"When people are bitten in their hotel rooms and hotel guests resort to writing to the Chronicle to create awareness, the situation is most damaging," said the hotel's proprietor, Brian Callaghan.
The hotels do what they can to make it hard for the monkeys. Guests are told not to feed them, though whether or not they heed that advice is another matter altogether. Outside, hotel bins are kept in caged areas. The Rock has gone as far as removing hospitality biscuits from rooms.
The problem is that the troublesome primates are fast learners and quickly find ways around these precautions. They are also increasingly brazen, sometimes even entering rooms while guests are still inside.
Mr Davenport recounted that, recently, one monkey was observed entering The Rock's bar, sliding open a panel on a waiter's trolley and taking out a plate of scones. Incredibly, the monkey closed the panel before leaving with the food.
"We're trying to play our part by taking precautions but they learn and they adapt," he told the Chronicle.
The underlying fact of this difficult situation is that Gibraltar's Barbary Macaques, despite what many people believe, are wild animals. They roam and they forage. Through many years of close contact with humans, they have also learned to associate humans with sweet food.
The authorities have promised to take a tougher approach to the feeding of monkeys, which is - in theory at least - illegal. There has been just one conviction in over 100 years since the law was passed.
A contraception programme is also under way, though its impact will only be felt in the longer term. As a short term measure, some monkeys have also been discreetly and humanely culled.
For the hoteliers, though, more needs to be done. Last week there were numerous exchanges between hotel managers, government officials and the ape management team to find solutions.
"What is done about ape infestation in Gibraltar is a matter for those tasked with those responsibilities," Mr Callaghan told the Chronicle. "It's for them to make the decisions."
"The first thing to do, though, is to apply the required resources to rid Gibraltar of this unacceptable ape population explosion, and then maintain those resources to prevent recurrence."
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