As part of ongoing research to support the long-term management of Gibraltar’s Barbary macaques, six macaques will be temporarily fitted with lightweight GPS collars in a collaborative study coordinated through the University of Gibraltar and the Government’s Department of the Environment.

The work is being led by Ms. Lillianne Hawkins as part of her Masters research, funded by the UK Darwin Plus Fellowship scheme and facilitated by the University of Gibraltar. Additional support, including the GPS collar deployment component, is being provided by the Department of the Environment.

The temporary collars will allow researchers to collect fine-scale spatial data over a limited monitoring period of approximately two to four months, helping to improve our present understanding of macaque movement patterns beyond what can be observed directly in the field.

The study aims to provide additional insight into habitat use, spatial overlap between neighbouring troops, and how neighbouring troops influence one another across different parts of the Upper Rock component of the Gibraltar Nature Reserve. It will also help explore how management practices and resource availability relate to movement patterns. Together, these findings will contribute to evidence-based management of Gibraltar’s macaque population and support longer-term scientific research.

All collar deployment procedures are being carried out under strict veterinary supervision using established welfare protocols. Collars are lightweight, fitted for temporary use only, and include an automatic release mechanism.

Throughout the monitoring period, the macaques will be observed regularly as part of ongoing welfare checks by the Macaque Management Team and project researchers.

Minister for the Environment, Professor John Cortes, commented: ‘This is yet another useful research project which will help us better understand the exact movements of our flagship macaques. It builds on the initial work carried out in 2013 by the GONHS and Notre Dame University (USA) and will undoubtedly provide valuable and updated information for the team of professionals working behind the scenes to ensure our macaques are well cared for’.