Chapter 49: The Great Esc'ape'

Continuing the theme from the last chapter of the border making Gibraltar a prison, let me tell you about a local news story, of a fugitive from Gibraltar, who made it across the border to Spain without a Spanish visa. Such a story is unusual here, but what makes it more unusual is the fugitive was an ape.

Gone Ape!

I've spoken previously of the monkeys that live on the Rock. These are a major tourist attraction, and there are about 200 of them up there (around the number of students at the University of Gibraltar). If you are an animal lover, dear reader, you might be interested to know that the apes are a spices called Barbary Macaque, and these are tailless monkeys. How they got to Gibraltar is unclear, but a local legend says that as long as the apes stay on the rock, Gibraltar will remain part of Britain.

Planning his escape.

Perhaps this is why Gibraltarian authorities were so keen to get him back, and a literal manhunt, make that apehunt ensued. The ape was seen near the Gibraltar side of the border on Monday morning of this week. Efforts to trap it were unsuccessful and it managed to jump into Spain, like an illegal immigrant. That evening the media reported that despite many efforts to capture the ape, he "remained at large" in La Linea. It was like something out of the film, 'The fugitive', and callers to a local radio show even suggested they should nickname the monkey Harrison Ford!

Maybe this event could inspire a sequel movie!

While the apes do sometimes wander off the rock (they are inquisitive and like to roam) they are also quite agoraphobic. Therefore crossing the runway to get to the border, was as much of a deterrent to them as the white balloon in The Prisoner (Chapter 48). However, the new tunnel to the airport has given them a less scary route to the border, and a shiny new red petrol station being built nearby also provides an attraction.

Used to keep monkeys away from the border.

By Tuesday afternoon however, the fugitive had been apprehended by law enforcement officers, and Gibraltar's Macaque Management Team (they sound like trust fund administrators rather than zoo keepers!). The capture was quite a strategic operation, with a drone deployed by Spanish police, and eventually the poor ape shot with a tranquiliser dart, after several misses by the marksman of the law. Wow that is tough justice!

Modern manhunt tactics.

On Tuesday night, the monkey was back in Gibraltar. He was under observation, and due to be microchipped and tattooed in case he tries to escape again (like a convict!). One of the vets said on GBC news (Gibraltar's broadcaster) that the ape "wasn’t looking at all to come back to Gibraltar – the movement of the monkey was away from Gibraltar all the way." While the monkey didn't have time to pick up any Spanish souvenirs, he did get some holiday snaps.   

At the waterfront in La Linea.