Traumatised woman bitten by a monkey on holiday in Bali left with $8000 medical bill

It was supposed to be the holiday of a lifetime for Melbourne woman Patrizia Accoglienza. But instead, a horror attack has left her in serious debt.

An Australian woman has been left traumatised after being bitten by a monkey while on holiday in Bali and hit with $8000 in medical bills.

Patrizia Accoglienza, 42, from Melbourne, was on a visit to the Ubud Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary when a large monkey jumped on her from behind and bit her neck.

The professional photographer was on her first trip to Bali and decided to visit the popular attraction, home to some 750 long-tailed monkeys.

Accoglienza said she’d been walking around the sanctuary for about an hour when she was attacked.

“I was photographing a monkey that was about two metres away from me at the time,” she said.

“Suddenly, another big monkey jumped on my backpack and bit my neck from behind.

“It happened so quickly, I was in total shock, and just pushed him off straight away.

“He jumped to a nearby ledge and showed his teeth in an aggressive manner.”

Patrizia Accoglienza, 42, from Melbourne at the clinic with a nurse who is cleaning her wound after a monkey bit her neck while on holiday in Bali. Picture: Caters News Agency

‘THESE ARE WILD ANIMALS, NOT PETS’

After rushing to the park’s first aid clinic, Accoglienza was shown a certificate confirming that none of the park’s monkeys had rabies or any other disease.

She decided to get all the recommended injections just to be safe, but the treatment didn’t come cheap.

“I was in a panic. I was advised by a staff member to go to the first aid clinic, who cleaned the wound with antiseptic.

“She told me there were two teeth piercings, which confirmed I’d been bitten.

“I realised it was better to be safe than sorry.

The monkey bite on Accoglienza’s neck could have exposed her to rabies meaning she needed urgent medical treatment. Picture: Caters News Agency

“I went to a nearby health care clinic, who told me that I had the most serious form of rabies exposure because the bite was on my neck and close to a lot of nerves.

“My entire treatment plan was going to cost me over $A8000 (£4500), but I just paid it because nothing is more important than your health.”

She added: “The entire ordeal left me in shock, and I certainly wouldn’t be visiting any more monkey reserves.”

WHAT IS THE BALINESE LONG-TAILED MONKEY

The long-tailed monkey is a species native to southeast Asia whose full scientific name is macaca fascicularis. The monkeys have a long history of living at close quarters with humans, though a habit of stealing food has seen them labelled pests by some communities.

They typically leave humans alone as long as they don’t think we have any food, but can sometimes mistake our movements for offers of food. Anyone interacting with them is advised never to withdraw an offer of food, as this can provoke aggression.

A traumatised Aussie tourist has issued a travel warning after she found herself over $8000 out of pocket after being attacked by a monkey. Picture: Caters News Agency

The Ubud Monkey Forest is a natural-habitat sanctuary and home to some 750 of the monkeys. The monkeys are most active during the day, bringing them into constant contact with humans.

Park staff carry slingshots with which to intimidate monkeys and intervene quickly in any confrontations with humans.

Politicians in Bali have reportedly been calling for a cull of certain types of macaque on the island in response to increasingly aggressive behaviour towards humans.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission