Rabies Warnings Issued To Bali Tourists Visiting Monkey Forest Attractions 

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Tourists visiting Bali are being issued with updated advice regarding rabies and interactions with wildlife on the island.

Visiting monkey forest attractions is one of the top bucket list activities for holidaymakers in Bali, and while the experience can be a wonderful way to connect with nature, the risks are real. 

The Head of the Animal Health Centre for Gianyar Regency, Dr Nyoman Arya Dharma, has spoken to reporters about the efforts the Gianyar Agriculture Service is making to prevent the spread of rabies on the island. He has warned the public that while the government agency is funneling a huge amount of resources into the prevention of rabies, local communities and tourists must also exercise personal responsibility and caution when it comes to being in proximity to animals that can carry rabies. 

He confirmed, “Controlling the monkey population can help reduce the risk of spreading rabies.” Adding “controlling other wild animal populations can help reduce the risk of rabies spreading.”

Dr Dharma has called on the public to respect the rules regarding interactions with monkeys across Bali, especially those that reside within monkey forest attractions. He stated, “Do not touch or hold monkeys or other wildlife, because this can increase the risk of bites.” 

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Tourists should not attempt to feed monkeys, nor go out of their way to interact with them. This includes keeping a safe distance away from monkeys when taking photos. Although these have always been the rules, every single day tourist break protocol and attempt to directly interact with the monkeys, which not only disrupts their natural behaviors but also increases the risk of rabies transmission. 

Dr Dharma urged the public to” Seek medical help immediately if bitten by a monkey or other wild animal.” The wound should be cleaned with soap and running water. 

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Bali’s top monkey forest attraction, the Ubud Monkey Forest, has strict protocols in place to protect both their resident monkeys and the public from rabies. The attraction shares that they regularly test their resident troops of monkeys for rabies, and since the attraction opened in 1960, they have never found any cases of rabies in the animals in their care. 

Ubud Monkey Forest shares “For rabies test, we will do if we find a monkey suddenly dead without any clear reason. In this case [we] refer to the advice from the Primate Research Center of the Udayana University of Bali, we will bring the body of the monkey to the Bali Animal Disease Investigation Center for a rabies test.”

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They add, “They will take the brain issue as a sample for rabies testing. From the test results [so far] it is always negative.”

At Ubud Monkey Forest, there is a mass sterilization programme that operates once a year to help control the population in the forest, during these operations the health of each monkey is also assessed. There is an on-site medical clinic at Ubud Monkey Forest. In the unlikely event that a visitor is scratched, bitten, or comes into contact with a monkey’s saliva, the incident should be immediately reported to staff and medical attention sought. 

While Ubud Monkey Forest is the most well-known monkey forest attraction in Bali, it is not the only place where tourists can see Bali’s famous long-tailed macaques in their natural habitat. The newly opened Kemenuh Monkey River can be found in Sukawati District, just a 20-minute drive from central Ubud. The attraction formally opened on 12th April and offers visitors the chance to relax and observe the resident troops of monkeys, as well as the rare white monkeys of Bali and flying fox too. Kemenuh Monkey River is now open daily, from 9 am until 6 pm, with the last entry to the forest at 5 pm. Special opening promotional ticket rates are IDR 80,000 for adults and IDR 40,000 for children.