12-year-old girl rushed to clinic after getting bit by monkey on family vacation: 'The whole thing was just so fast'

A 12-year-old girl visiting Bali, Indonesia, with her family was bitten on the neck by a monkey.

What happened?

A monkey bit a young girl on vacation with her family in Bali to celebrate Australian Father's Day at Monkey Forest Ubud. 

According to People, the girl and her family sat down in an amphitheater where many other visitors were lounging. The family didn't notice any monkeys initially near any of the other people. But within a minute of their sitting down, a monkey jumped onto the father's shoulder. 

It quickly moved on to the 12-year-old girl and began pulling at her shirt and pockets. Suddenly, the monkey bit the girl on the neck. 

The girl's mother, Flavia McDonald, told People, "I looked down at her neck, and I just said, 'Oh my god' […] The whole thing was just so fast."

Park officials insisted that the monkeys were clean and that the girl didn't require a rabies vaccine. McDonald wasn't convinced, though, and took her daughter to a local clinic. The girl received two shots for the bite, which cost the family over $4,100. 

Why is this human-wildlife encounter concerning?

Any time people encounter wildlife, there's a risk of it going badly. As evidenced by this young girl's terrifying incident, human-wildlife encounters can end with people being injured or even killed.

In some cases, whether people provoke them or not, authorities capture and euthanize the wild animal afterward. This contributes to population depletion and hinders conservation efforts.

Many times, human-wildlife encounters aren't the animal's fault. The number of wildlife species being driven from their homes and into heavily populated areas by extreme weather events is increasing. 

Due to changes to the climate, many species are losing their natural habitats and access to natural resources, forcing them to migrate. This leads to more human-wildlife encounters and an increased risk of negative outcomes from these interactions.

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How can I protect myself from human-wildlife encounters?

If you're visiting a park containing wild animals, always follow park rules. Most parks recommend staying a certain number of feet away from wild animals at all times.

Overall, though, the best way to protect yourself and loved ones is to protect the environment around you. By doing this, animals will stay in their natural habitats and won't need to migrate, which reduces your likelihood of running into one. Doing this will also promote biodiversity in your area and allow ecosystems to thrive.

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