According to legend, Gibraltar will stay British as long as the Barbary apes remain in residence. Prime Minister Winston Churchill, ever on the lookout for a good symbol, boosted their numbers during World War II to make sure of the territory’s survival. By that measure its identity is safe: Despite early fears in British tabloids that the animals might succumb to COVID-19, all 300 or so are in fine fettle.
But the next six months are likely to see much monkeying around with the status of Gibraltar—also known as the Rock, for its imposing mountain promontory—which will say more about Britain’s changing role in the world than the primates’ continued presence.
