Barbary Macaque Awareness and Conservation: BMAC
“We fight the illegal wildlife trade in Morocco by raising awareness and developing conservation initiatives that are inclusive, fair and sustainable. We mobilise public opinion, support the authorities in wildlife confiscations and rehabilitate and release wildlife.”
The Barbary Macaque
The Barbary Macaque is the only macaque species found outside of Asia and the only primate found north of the Sahara desert. They can be found in Morocco and Algeria with an introduced population in Gibraltar.
Sadly these monkeys are being illegally captured for the pet trade and are used as photo props for tourists. BMAC work very hard in rescuing wild macaques illegally captured and protect these animals in their wild habitats. They also work to help raise awareness with locals and around the world in teaching people why macaques are not pets or photo props.
What they mean to me.
I work with 3 individuals: Libu, Laila and Viviene. They were all illegally caught from the wild for the pet trade and rescued by AAP. Later being placed in the zoo I work at where they will live out the rest of their lives. Sadly, due to their terrible past, they suffer a lot of psychological damage and are no longer able to be released back in the wild. I work closely with these individuals and have created a strong relationship with them, especially our male, Libu. He has captivated my heart and made me fall in love with the species as a whole, I even did my university dissertation on this group. A few years ago I met Sian Waters (Executive Director of BMAC) at a zoo conference and felt inspired by the incredible work she does for this species. She was very kind and welcoming and a very passionate person. She inspired me to become one of the many wonderful ambassadors for the charity BMAC, where I help spread the word and raise awareness for these wonderful animals.