Macaque jumps border into La Linea, remains at large

A male Barbary macaque crossed from Gibraltar into La Linea on Monday morning and remained at large in the evening despite day-long efforts to capture it.

The monkey was seen on the Gibraltar side of the border in the area of the west gate customs zone early on Monday but, despite efforts to trap it, it managed to jump into Spain.

Once north of the border, it headed past the park and onto the roof of the nearby IES Menendez Tolosa and surrounding buildings.

Officers from the Guardia Civil’s conservation unit, the Seprona, worked with Policia Local officers, representatives from the Castellar conservation zoo and two members of Gibraltar’s macaque management team to try and trap the animal.

As of Monday evening though, the agile monkey remained at large.

After further contact between La Linea mayor Juan Franco and the Gibraltar Government, experienced members of the macaque team in Gibraltar will deploy again to Spain on Tuesday with equipment to try and catch the primate.

It is normal for adult male macaques to roam although the monkeys do not like open spaces, such as the airfield, which usually acts as a deterrent to those with wanderlust.

The sight of a macaque in La Linea prompted a flurry of activity on social media, including inevitable jokes as to how it had managed to jump the border queues.