With pitbulls, dobermans and rottweilers under fire from the French authorities, youth gangs in the depressed Paris suburbs have discovered an alternative way to intimidate their rivals - with attack monkeys.
"They're ultra-fashionable," said Mr Didier Lecourbe, a police officer from the suburb of Aubervilliers. "There are dozens of them. Kids take them out on leads, and even carry baby monkeys around in nappies. But these animals can be very dangerous."
Imported illegally through Spain from Gibraltar, Morocco or Algeria, the Barbary apes are known for their powerful limbs, sharp teeth and short tempers. Veterinary experts say they can be turned into frightening and effective weapons.
"They live naturally on rocks or in a desert environment," said Ms Marie-Claude Bomsel of the natural history museum. "Removed from their natural habitat, they can become highly aggressive. They bite, and their favoured method of attack is to hurl themselves at people's heads."
Police believe as many as 500 Barbary apes may have been smuggled into France in the past two years. Bought for about $45 each by youngsters visiting their families in north Africa, they change hands on the big housing estates around Paris for as much as $450. "Now the authorities have cracked down on pitbulls, apes look like becoming the new weapon of choice," said Mr Lecourbe. "We've heard of monkey-fights being run in tower block basements."