12-year-old Lorena McDonald from Sydney was vacationing in Bali with her family. While visiting the Ubud Monkey Forest Sanctuary, she was attacked by a monkey, resulting in a serious neck wound.
Her mother, Flavia, said the family wasn't carrying anything to attract the monkeys and they had "followed all the instructions," but were still attacked. She recounted how the monkey jumped onto her husband's shoulder and, within seconds, leaped onto Lorena's shoulder and bit her.
"The monkey started pulling at her clothes, bag, and rummaging through her belongings. As I approached to shoo it away, within five seconds, it bit her neck," she said.
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A monkey in Ubud. Photo: Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud |
A monkey in Ubud. Photo: Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud
Lorena required rabies vaccines as a precaution. However, the family was shocked by the 60 million rupiah (approximately 3,600 USD) cost at the clinic. They hope their travel insurance will cover some of the expenses. Following the incident, Flavia cautioned other tourists about bringing children to the sanctuary.
Bali attracts thousands of visitors annually. Lorena's case isn't the first monkey attack incident in Bali, especially in the Ubud Monkey Forest, which is home to a large population of Balinese long-tailed macaques.
In 2019, Melbourne photographer Patrizia Accoglienza was also bitten on the neck by a monkey that jumped on her shoulder while visiting the sanctuary. The bite resulted in profuse bleeding, and Patrizia admitted she hadn't realized how dangerous the monkeys could be.
Her medical bills reached about 8,000 USD, but fortunately, she had travel insurance.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), rabies causes around 59,000 deaths each year globally, mostly in areas with low vaccination rates. Monkey bites, especially in areas like Bali where wild monkeys live in close proximity to humans, pose a significant rabies risk if the animal is infected. Initial symptoms include fever and pain at the bite site, which can progress to seizures, confusion, and death.
Hoai Anh (Daily Star)
