What are Barbary macaques, the Atlas monkeys of Morocco?

Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) surprise people — most travellers don't expect monkeys in Morocco at all. They're the only macaque species living outside Asia, and the only wild primate in Africa north of the Sahara. Unlike most monkeys they have no tail, and they live in tight, chattering social troops where you'll see grooming, squabbles and babies clinging to their mothers.

The reliable place to meet them is the great cedar forest between Azrou and Ifrane in the Middle Atlas — cool, green, almost alpine country that feels nothing like the postcard image of Morocco. I take guests along the forest road to the Cèdre Gouraud area, and within minutes of stepping out we usually find a troop foraging among the trees. In the snowy winter months you can watch them huddled in the cedars, breath steaming.

A serious word, because it matters: please don't feed them. Roadside vendors sell peanuts and the monkeys have learned to beg, but human food makes them sick, aggressive and dependent — and habituated monkeys are far more likely to be poached or hit by cars. I ask guests to keep a respectful distance, never touch them, and just watch. Wild behaviour is far more rewarding than a snatched-peanut photo.

The deeper story is conservation. Barbary macaques are endangered; their cedar-forest home is shrinking from logging, drought and illegal capture of infants for the pet trade. When you visit ethically — quietly, without feeding — you're supporting the case that these animals are worth more alive and wild in their forest than anywhere else. It's one of my favourite half-days in Morocco, and it changes how people see the country.