Fury in Gibraltar over what tourists have been feeding its famous monkeys

Europe's only wild monkey population have taken to eating mud to settle their stomachs (Image: Getty)

Gibraltar's monkey population have started eating mud to settle their stomachs after consuming fast food from tourists, a new study has revealed. Scientists have found that the Barbary macaque population in the British Overseas Territory regularly consume mud and do not believe the behaviour is a one-off or driven by mere curiosity.

Instead, researchers say the mud-eating is likely, as they are provided with fruit, vegetables and seeds each day, but they also get additional food from visitors. The animals are usually fed by local authorities who provide them with fruit, vegetables and seeds each day, but they manage to get their hands on additional food from visitors who are often seen feeding them crisps, chocolate, ice cream, salty peanuts, bread, juice and other snacks. This is despite warnings not to touch or feed the monkeys.

Almost a fifth of the food consumed by the monkeys was provided by tourists during the study (Image: Getty)

Those living nearer to the top of the Rock were twice as likely to eat this type of food and were also those most likely to eat mud. Meanwhile, during the high tourist season, when the availability of human food grows, more monkeys eat mud. During the winter months, the animals were found to be 40% less likely to consume food from tourists and more than 30% less likely to eat soil.

Tourists are being reminded not to feed the monkeys or leave litter behind as the peak season approaches (Image: Getty)

Throughout the investigation, 44 monkeys were observed eating soil on 46 occasions. In three cases, they ate the mud immediately after ingesting ice cream, sweets, or bread.

It is not only Gibraltar’s monkeys that are consuming mud in this way - in Africa, Asia and South America, pregnant monkeys have been observed eating soil to reduce nausea and obtain minerals.