Money See, Monkey Do (But Please Don’t)

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If you’re looking for a story about pesky primate pickpockets, then you’re in the right place! Keep reading for a hilarious story about the infamous monkeys in Gibraltar stealing. If you want to plan a day trip to Gibraltar, then check out my blog posts on One Day In Gibraltar: Perfect Itinerary.

During my semester abroad in Spain, my program provider took us on a day trip to the Strait of Gibraltar. Gibraltar is a British territory, so passports are needed to cross the border (this will be important later).

After touring some caves and seeing a few monkeys, we had free time to explore on our own. I was itching for more interactions with the monkeys, so I took a cable car up to the summit of the mountain, where I entered an area called the Ape’s Den.

Supposedly almost 300 monkeys inhabit the top of the rock – and believe me when I tell you – they were EVERYWHERE. Unlike before, there were no railings separating us and them. These were wild animals, and it was evident that we were in their terrain from the way they sauntered about as if we weren’t even there.

Desperate to get the picture I came for, I cautiously approached one sitting on a ledge. After making my friends take about a million photos, I still had to get a selfie, too.

I approached another monkey also sitting on a ledge. I unzipped by backpack to get to my purse that was inside, and I pulled out my phone to take some selfies. Immediately after, I put my phone back in my purse because I’d gotten into that habit as to not set it down somewhere and not lose anything. You’ll see the irony in this shortly.

The next thing I knew, the monkey stared me dead in the eyes as he reached into my still unzipped backpack and pulled out my purse by the strap. He was just holding it – taunting me. He started to turn away, and I was sure he was going to make a run for it.  Seems kind of funny, huh?

Let me explain the gravity of this situation.

If he had made off with my purse, I would’ve lost my phone, money, credit cards, MY PASSPORT, passport copy, and all other forms of identification – meaning I would’ve been stuck in Gibraltar with no way to get back to Spain, the U.S. or anywhere with no way to call for help and no money to get by.  

What do I do?! I only had a few seconds to act. Do I let him go, leaving me stranded in a foreign country, or do I try to steal back my things and risk frightening him off or risk aggravating him and provoking an attack?

All these thoughts and a million more were rushing through my head at a mile a minute, but I knew what I had to do. I had gotten myself into this mess, so I had to get myself out. I hyper-focused on the primate, pleading with my eyes. I crept forward, praying he wouldn’t flee, but thankfully he didn’t budge. His attention was locked on me – I didn’t know if this was a good or a bad thing yet. With lightning speed, I flung out my arm and yanked back my purse. I dashed backwards, but it wasn’t over yet. The monkey leapt after me in hot pursuit, and that was when the panic really sunk in.

After what felt like an eternity of bobbing, weaving, ducking for cover behind strangers, and hearing a sea of laughter from amused onlookers, the monkey finally retreated, and I was safe.

My “monkeys in Gibraltar stealing my stuff” has become my pitch story for interviews and employers because other than being a hilarious and harrowing tale, this story and how I reacted highlight several invaluable skills I have gained from studying abroad, including:

• Owning up to my mistakes
• Staying calm in a crisis
• Thinking quick on my feet
• Willing to take risks

Besides, how hard can a job be after making it to the other side of a Planet of the Apes movie? After all, I survived the Ape’s Den. Can I get a t-shirt or something that says that?! 

If you don’t want to get your stuff swiped like me, I recommend bringing a fanny pack or a cute crossbody purse, and never let it out of your site! And definitely DO NOT bring any food to the Ape’s Den because the monkeys will smell it from a mile away. Don’t make the same mistakes I did because the mischievous monkeys in Gibraltar are known for stealing every now and again.

Piece of advice: don’t monkey around in Gibraltar!