FROM what they eat, to where they go to where and when they sleep the troublesome Macaques in Gibraltar are going to be monitored 24/7.

Government officials and animal experts are hoping to keep up with the apes every move and action in the hope of learning more about them.

As part of the project, led by leading scientists from America and Europe, three Barbary Macaques will have High Definition (HD) cameras attached to them.

In addition, GPS tracking collars will be attached to another six apes.

This will allow remote tracking of their movements for several months, which will be downloaded onto a computer programme, revealing the routes they use, where they sleep, where they forage, and how much time they spend in different areas.

This work will be funded by National Geographic who will also be in Gibraltar to cover the initiative.

The three HD cameras will be removed after 48 hours and the GPS collars will be taken off after four to six months.

The Minister for the Environment, Dr John Cortes, said: “The information they will gather is vital, and we are using top of the range monitoring equipment.

“This work will help us understand the Macaques better, which will in turn help us to reduce the nuisance factor.

“Once we have done this, we can start enjoying and being proud of them once again.”

A public talk is being held to coincide with the project at 7pm on April 3 at the Rock View Room in the O’Callaghan Eliott Hotel.

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