10-Year-Old Girl On Vacation In Bali Hospitalized After Monkey Bite 

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A 10-year-old Australian girl on vacation in Bali was left in need of hospital treatment after being bitten by a monkey at the Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud.

The little girl’s mother has spoken to the media about the incident to help raise awareness amongst travelers to Bali. 

Amanda Tabone, a mother of three from Australia, was visiting Bali’s world-famous Sacred Monkey Forest on vacation when just 10 minutes into their visit things took an unexpected turn.

Tabone’s daughter, Eva, was sitting on a stone bench when she was approached by two of the famous macaques. Tabone told reporters, “We saw a worker with a young monkey, encouraging it to interact with guests.”

She went on to explain “Eva sat on the bench seat next to [the monkey] and another monkey came along and sat on her lap surprising her.”

@nowiesolis Gee, I was just trying to help. 😮‍💨 #Bali #Monkey #WhenMonkeysAttack #Travel #MyTravelDiaries #EvilMonkey ♬ original sound – nowiesolis

Tabone added, “The monkey the worker was interacting with must have got jealous and bit her on the back.”

In the video supplied to YahooNews, Eva can be seen sitting calmly on the bench, not provoking the monkeys, nor did she have food or anything that would entice them in closer.

Eva jumped away as the monkey bit her through her shirt. Tabone noted that little Eva “is quite tough” due to her having two older brothers but that the incident left her shaken. 

Upon immediate inspection of the bite, it was clear that the monkey had broken the skin even through the t-shirt.

Although the monkeys at Ubud’s Sacred Monkey Forest are routinely vaccinated against rabies, the risk of exposure is not to be taken lightly. 

@onhoodlum The monkey was just trying to grab a few dollars to get something to eat 😂 Via: whatsjetlag // IG #hoodlum #onhoodlum #raptv #funny #bali #monkeysoftiktok ♬ original sound – HOODLUM 😈

Tabone shared that she and Eva visited the on-site nurse who cleaned the wound with anti-septic and covered it with a plaster.

Tabone added, “She [the nurse] also showed us medical papers to say the monkeys get tested and no viruses were found in the blood work. We added our names to the extensive bite list book and went on our way.”

Later in the day, worried but the risk of exposure to rabies, Tabone decided to seek precautionary medical treatment for her daughter.

She explained, “I got my resort reception to organize a taxi to the nearest hospital only to find out the vaccine needed was out of supply, as there are so many bite victims.”

@becca_fit_ I think the monkey took me serious when i said come catch these hands 🤕 #bali #baliindonesia #vacation #fyp #traveltiktok #ubudbali #monkeyforest #monkeyforestbali #monkeybite ♬ Originalton – POV’s

The hospital was able to contact another local clinic that did have rabies vaccines in stock.

The full course of rabies vaccinations as well as immunoglobin treatment and herpes medication left Tabone with an AUD 950 medical bill.

Her travel insurance provider also put her in communication with doctors at home in Australia who assured her that the treatment provided by the medical team in Bali was “spot on.”

The Sacred Ubud Monkey Forest has spoken to the press regarding the incident. A spokesperson reported that the monkeys are often unpredictable in their behavior.

They said, “the visitors may get bitten or scratched by a monkey because they have an interaction, such as feeding or taking pictures.”

The statement added “To avoid any accident — scratch or bite — we provide guidelines so you know what to expect.”

“The guidelines should be followed by the visitor for their safety during the visit. Our staff are also available in some points of the forest to oversee the visitor and the monkey.”

Tourists across Bali are being urged to keep safety in mind and avoid contact with stray or wild animals in Bali; whether this be monkeys or even dogs.

On Monday 30th October the Head of Legian Village confirmed reports that a tourist was hospitalized after being attacked by a dog on Legian Beach. 

The tourist is said to have walked by the dog, who lurched at his leg, biting him and leaving him in need of medical treatment for the wound and a precautionary course of rabies vaccinations.