What to do if a face-ripping, bone-biting monkey assaults you – and who would win
They move somewhat like us and we admire their intelligence, their tool-using abilities and their strong sense of community, but monkeys and chimpanzees are dangerous wild animals.
Stories of monkey attacks frequently make the news. In November, a 10 year old boy was killed by one outside a temple in western India, while in March this year, a woman sustained injuries after being attacked by a pet monkey in Oklahoma in the US. The monkey was shot and killed by a family member.
Over time, humans and monkeys have been forced into closer proximity, as some species’ populations grow and our own expansion infringes on their natural habitats, increasing the likelihood of violent encounters. Following an attack in Japan last summer, the New York Times’ headline read: “A Marauding Monkey Was Killed in Japan. Others Will Take Its Place.”
Our well-known relative, the chimpanzee, is a member of the great apes but is another primate that has captivated generations. Are they like us? Millions of us have wondered – in some ways perhaps they are, but significantly stronger.
But what if either a monkey or a chimpanzee took a dislike to you, their intelligent, complex emotions leading them to violence? Daily Star spoke to Frankie Hobro of Anglesey Zoo to explain what could provoke them to attack, how they’d do it and what you can do.
“In the wild chimpanzees, monkeys and other primates are not used to people, they are afraid of us,” she said. “So when these animals attack humans it is due to them being ‘humanised’ in some way – either as pets or captive animals or through such regular habituation to human contact or encounters that they are no longer afraid of us – such as in tourist hotspots or urban areas.
“So really wild chimps and monkeys don’t attack people. But in captivity, they have learned that they are stronger than humans.
“Primates such as monkeys and chimpanzees may look cute and appealing but they are potentially dangerous. Even when tamed, these are still wild animals – they belong in the wild and do not make suitable house pets. Primates need space, companions and mental stimulation – not what you find in someone’s living room!
“Many attacks by chimps in captivity have been on someone they know and it is extremely difficult to predict this or what the triggers are. They are very complex creatures and it’s often impossible to figure out what reason they have for attacking. Having a chimp in your home is like having a tiger in your home. It’s not really very different. They are both very dangerous and unpredictable!”
They bear a resemblance to us and perhaps we recognise ourselves in them, but just how much more powerful are these creatures compared to humans?
Frankie revealed: “Chimpanzees have a genetic profile that is 98% the same as humans so they can seem like cute, hairy versions of people. But the chimpanzee has strength that is utterly incomprehensible for a human especially in pulling and gripping movements because they are adapted to climbing trees and brachiating.
“People watch pro wrestlers on TV and think they are strong but a pro wrestler would not be able to hold a chimpanzee, even a young one of four or five years old. According to a 2017 study chimpanzees are 1.5 times stronger than a strapping human and contain about twice the amount of ‘fast-twitch’ muscle fibres as we do which seems to be what gives them their extraordinary strength.
“Male chimps have been measured as having five times the arm strength as a human male!”
They can reach heights of four to five and half feet (1.22m to 1.68m) and sprint at speeds of up to 25mph (40kph), with adult males tipping the scales at 40 to 60kg, but what about monkeys?
“An average-sized monkey such as a macaque is much smaller than a chimpanzee,” Frankie said, “at around 2 feet tall and weighing approximately seven to eight kg, but just because monkeys are smaller it doesn’t mean they can’t harm you. These monkeys are commonly encountered in tourist hotspots abroad and they can be quite aggressive so should be given a wide berth-injuries from these primates often require hospital care and can result in serious complications.”
Holiday destinations where the monkeys have become accustomed to humans are precisely where they’ll turn most hostile, but youngsters are something to be wary of as well.
“Never attempt to approach or touch a young monkey or a mother monkey while she’s nursing her baby,” Frankie explained. “Because monkeys are highly social creatures, if they sense a threat to one of their pack, they’ll come to the defence of one another and you might be attacked by the entire pack!”
But what happens if you provoke the wrath of a chimp or monkey? “During attacks, chimps will target a person’s face, hands, feet and genitals and they can show tremendous mutilation extremely quickly. A chimpanzee can easily bite your face and pull off your skin in just minutes.
“A study in Bali on macaque monkeys in tourist hotspots found that most of their bites don’t break the skin, but a wound could allow transmission of herpes B, which can be fatal to humans. Aggressive urban monkeys will give you lots of warnings before they attack.
“First, the animals will look at you in the eyes, open their mouths, and bare their teeth. Rhesus macaques, the aggressive monkeys that cause a lot of trouble in Delhi, will then warn you with a grunt.
“Next, they might fake a lunge toward you, which often causes the victim to lose their balance. If you’re still withholding food, they’ll grab at your knees and legs, and put their mouths on you so that you can feel their teeth. Finally, if you still won’t cooperate, they’ll sink their canines into you.”
