A family trip of Australians to Bali turned into a real nightmare. During a visit to the Monkey Forest in Ubud, 12-year-old Lorena MacDonald suffered an animal bite, and her family had to urgently seek medical help, paying over $4,000 for treatment.
Flavia MacDonald said that they came to Bali spontaneously with her husband and daughter to celebrate in a warm climate. On September 10, during a walk in the park in Ubud, one of the monkeys unexpectedly jumped first onto her husband's shoulder and then onto Lorena, biting the girl on the neck.
According to the mother, the family did not break any rules: they did not feed the animals or approach them. However, there were no park staff nearby to help. At the medical station, they were told that the "monkeys are clean" and there was no danger, so they just cleaned the wound. Flavia insisted on urgent treatment at a clinic, where the girl was given rabies injections and prescribed a course of antiviral drugs.
The cost was shocking — 69 million Indonesian rupiahs (about $4,100 USD). Despite having insurance, the money had to be paid immediately.
"I have never heard warnings about the danger of bites in this park. If I had known, we wouldn't have gone there," says Flavia. According to her, not only their plans but also the entire purpose of the trip, which started as a family holiday, was ruined.
Incidents of monkey attacks on tourists are recorded regularly: last year another Australian had to spend even more — about $6,000 — on vaccination after bites. Such stories remind us that animals are unpredictable, and when meeting monkeys, it's important to keep a distance and not attract their attention with food or belongings. Choosing a reliable insurance company with assistance that can promptly resolve issues instead of just formalizing a policy "for show" will help avoid these unplanned expenses.
Source: people
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