A female tourist was left with multiple injuries after being surrounded and attacked by four wild monkeys for nearly 20 minutes at a scenic area in Sichuan, China.
The incident took place on May 9 at the Labahe Scenic Area in Ya’an, where the woman, identified only as Lin, was hiking with a friend along one of the park’s trails.
According to Lin, she had twisted her ankle near a suspension bridge and was preparing to turn back when four wild Tibetan macaques suddenly approached her.
In an attempt to avoid confrontation, she threw away her backpack, which contained food. However, after taking the food, the monkeys allegedly became even more aggressive.
Lin said the animals continued pulling at her clothing and repeatedly scratched and bit her arms, shoulders, thighs and buttocks. One of the wounds on her leg reportedly measured around six centimetres in length.
Fearing that fighting back would provoke a more violent attack, she remained still throughout the ordeal. The attack only ended when a passing scenic area employee spotted the incident and drove the monkeys away.
After escaping, Lin sought medical treatment and was diagnosed with severe Category III exposure injuries, the highest-risk classification for animal bites and scratches. Doctors immediately administered rabies immunoglobulin and a rabies vaccination. Her medical expenses reportedly totalled about 1,300 yuan (approximately RM770).
Lin expressed frustration that the scenic area only contacted her a month after the incident. She claimed management initially offered compensation in the form of free admission tickets or a complimentary one-night stay, which she rejected.
Instead, she is demanding full reimbursement of her medical expenses as well as a formal apology from the scenic area.
In response, staff members said the monkeys involved were wild Tibetan macaques, a nationally protected species, and are not raised or managed by the park. They acknowledged that the animals can be aggressive and noted that some employees have also been injured by the monkeys in the past.
The scenic area explained that a recent change in insurance providers has complicated the compensation process. While rabies vaccination costs are expected to be covered, officials said discussions are ongoing regarding reimbursement for the rabies immunoglobulin treatment.
The park has advised visitors to remain calm when encountering monkey groups, avoid carrying food openly and refrain from making direct eye contact with the animals, particularly during the summer months when human-monkey encounters become more frequent.
