A clinic is planned at Sangeh Monkey Forest for tourists who have been bitten or scratched by macaques.
The tourist attraction will provide the premises, while Abiansemal Community Health Centre (Puskesmas Abiansemal) will supply medical staff and stocks of rabies vaccine.Construction will begin once approval is granted by the traditional village of Sangeh.
People who are bitten or scratched are currently taken to the same health centre. They receive the vaccine there, and forest staff record their details together with the medical team.
“Rabies vaccination is mandatory after a bite; it is part of our standard procedure,” says Ida Bagus Gede Pujawan, head of the attraction’s management. Treatment is free for visitors, as insurance is included in the ticket price.
In June, monkeys scratched or bit 11 people out of 19 810 visits. From 1 to 25 July, there were already 29 such incidents out of 23 113 visits, including 13 scratches. No one has contracted rabies in Sangeh since the forest opened to tourists in January 1969.
Across the island, 34 561 bites by animals that can transmit rabies were recorded from January to June 2026. Badung, where Sangeh is located, had the highest number, with 6 599 cases.
The forest covers 14 hectares and is home to around 700 long-tailed macaques. Hand-feeding was permitted in January 2024 because the management believes that monkeys occupied with food are less likely to take visitors’ belongings.
The troop is fed twice a day, at six in the morning and eleven. Food and water are included in the ticket price for international visitors: 75 000 rupiah for adults and 50 000 for children.
Sources: detikBali, Bali Prawara
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