The Park’s barbary macaques family

The biodiversity of the Park includes a family of 17 Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus).

We present them one by one in the gallery below, where you will find some scenes of our friends’ daily life.

One of the most noteworthy behavioral characteristics of Berber macaques is the amount of maternal care given to children by the members of the group. In captivity it has been reported that children spend about 20% of their day with other individuals besides their mother, especially with adult males. Genetic paternity tests have shown that kinship has no effect on adult males in choosing babies. The little ones play a mediating role in social interactions, especially among the males.

The maternal instinct should be directed towards all the little ones and extended to those who need our protection or even just a little attention.
As it often happens, we have a lot to learn from non-human animals.

  • Barbary macaque