A mother has raised alarm after her daughter was bitten by a monkey on the neck while they were visiting Bali, leading to the daughter needing a rabies vaccination.
Flavia McDonald traveled to the Indonesian island with her spouse and 12-year-old daughter Lorana on Father’s Day for an impromptu family vacation. She shared that the surprise trip was intended to bring the family closer together.
Despite the cloudy weather and heavy rain, the family aimed to make the most of their holiday. Flavia mentioned that they chose to venture out from their Seminyak hotel to Ubud, known for its monkey forest.
During an interview with news.com.au, Flavia expressed, “Ubud would be something unique… something enjoyable.” She explained their plan to spend half a day in Ubud and return to Seminyak by noon due to the forecasted storms in the afternoon.
Upon arriving at the sanctuary, which was bustling with visitors, Flavia noted that the park was unusually crowded, possibly due to the weather conditions. Despite being briefed on monkey safety measures, the family lacked easily snatchable items like open bags, sunglasses, or hats.
After about 40 minutes of strolling in a designated sitting area within the park, the family encountered monkeys, but none came close until one suddenly leaped onto Flavia’s husband and then onto her daughter.
Describing the incident, Flavia recounted how the monkey startled her daughter by tugging at her clothing and belongings before biting her neck. Despite her daughter being in shock and not feeling the bite, blood was visible at the wound site.
Following the incident, Lorana received initial first aid where concerns about rabies were initially dismissed by the staff. However, Flavia, aware of the urgency of rabies treatment for upper body bites, promptly took her daughter to a clinic for a rabies shot, incurring unexpected medical expenses.
Flavia recounted the distressing experience of witnessing her daughter endure multiple injections for rabies and herpes virus B infection treatment. She emphasized the importance of being informed about such risks, which could have altered their park visit approach and prevented the unfortunate incident.
Australians were cautioned about rabies risks in Bali following a rise in infections. Flavia expressed regret over not being more informed beforehand, expressing how the incident marred their vacation experience.