Bali monkey attack : A heartbroken Sydney mother has shared that her 12-year-old daughter was attacked by a monkey during their family trip to Bali.
A Sydney mother has recounted how a brief encounter with a monkey at a popular Bali sanctuary quickly turned into a nightmare, leaving her family with medical expenses exceeding $6000.
Flavia McDonald, along with her husband and their 12-year-old daughter Lorena, flew to the Indonesian holiday hotspot on Father’s Day as part of a spontaneous surprise trip.
My daughter came up with the idea of chasing some sunshine after all the rain in Sydney as a Father’s Day gift for her dad,” Ms McDonald told
I’ve visited Bali many times before, but I was always hesitant to take the kids because of concerns like Bali belly. I thought we’d wait until Lorena was older to really enjoy it. But with Sydney’s wet weather in August, she suggested a sunny destination for the special occasion.
So, we surprised him on Saturday, September 5, and flew out the very next morning on Father’s Day. We expected it to be an unforgettable week — relaxing by the pool under Bali’s sunshine.”
Family Trip to Bali Turns Into a Nightmare
Ms McDonald explained that upon their arrival, the weather didn’t exactly cooperate, with grey skies and heavy downpours dampening the start of their holiday.
Hoping to make the most of their trip despite the gloomy conditions, the family decided to leave their hotel in Seminyak and head to Ubud, where the forecast predicted lighter rain and offered the chance to explore the famous monkey forest.
Ubud felt like it would be something different … something enjoyable,” Ms McDonald said.
So we planned a half-day trip there on the Wednesday. With storms expected in the afternoon, we figured we could spend about an hour and a half at the park in the morning and be back in Seminyak by midday.”
Sydney mother’s surprise getaway for Father’s Day
When we arrived at the sanctuary, it was packed with people … I’ve been there before, but this time it felt unusually crowded, probably because of the weather,” Ms McDonald recalled.
She said the family had been briefed on safety guidelines upon entry and ensured they carried nothing that might attract the monkeys — no open bags, sunglasses, or hats.
We wandered around for about 40 minutes before reaching an amphitheatre area where people were sitting,” she explained. “My husband and daughter joined the crowd. We could see monkeys nearby, but none were actually on or interacting with visitors. Then, within a minute, one suddenly leapt onto my husband’s shoulders … and in seconds it had jumped onto my daughter.
She froze in fear, and we knew we couldn’t make any sudden movements or risk provoking it. The monkey started tugging at her shirt and pockets, even peering into her top. As I moved closer to try and shoo it away, it suddenly bit her on the neck in less than five seconds.
I was terrified, but I had to stay composed so she wouldn’t panic and make the situation worse.
Terrifying moments as the monkey bites 12-year-old girl
Ms McDonald noted that although the park was crowded with visitors, particularly in the seating area where the attack took place, there were no staff members around to supervise or step in to help.
She explained that her daughter, still in shock, didn’t immediately register the pain of the bite — even though it had broken the skin and drawn blood.
I glanced at her neck and just gasped, ‘oh my god,’” Ms McDonald recalled.
At first, she thought it was just a scratch … but then we noticed the bite mark and the blood.”
She added, “We’d read all the safety guidelines, including not making eye contact with the monkeys. We were careful not to approach or provoke them, but she was frozen in fear with the monkey still clinging to her.
The entire incident happened in a matter of seconds.
Multiple rabies injections and further medications
Ms McDonald said her daughter was so stunned by the ordeal that she was immediately taken to the sanctuary’s first aid station, where staff downplayed the risk of rabies, assuring her the “monkeys were very clean.”
Instead of referring them to a medical facility, staff simply washed the wound with soap and water, insisting that would be enough.
They kept telling us there was no need to worry,” she said.
But she was bleeding, and I knew this wasn’t sufficient. Inside, I was panicking. Everything I’d researched pointed to how dangerous monkey bites can be and that she needed urgent treatment at a clinic with the rabies vaccine.
Determined to follow proper advice, Ms McDonald found the nearest clinic offering the vaccine and rushed her daughter there, knowing that immediate care was critical, especially with a bite on the upper body.
By the time we reached the clinic, my daughter was in complete shock,” she recalled. “And then I got a shock of my own — the medical bill came to 69 million Indonesian Rupiah, which is about AU$6300.
Although the family had travel insurance, the urgency of the situation meant the funds wouldn’t be available for several days — forcing Ms McDonald to pay out of pocket for the vaccine immediately.
The whole process was just unbelievable,” she said of the rabies treatment.
One of the injections had to be given directly into the wound. My daughter is only 12, and I’ve never heard her scream the way she did in that hospital.
She explained that her daughter endured multiple injections — one above the bite, one below it, another in her arm, and one in her leg.
In total, she received two vaccines, both targeting rabies. On top of that, she’s taking medication to prevent herpes virus B infection — six tablets a day for two weeks.
Earlier this year, Australian travellers were warned about rabies after infection rates in Bali spiked. Rabies-positive animals have been found in designated “red zone” areas, including South Kuta, Nusa Dua, Tanjung Benoa, Jimbaran, and Canggu.
South Kuta declared a red zone for rabies risk
The acting head of animal health, Anak Agung Istri Brahmi Witari, told the Courier Mail in August that fewer than five dogs were linked to the rabies cases.
The reason South Kuta has become a red zone is because the area has dense bushland, which provides shelter for wild dogs. That’s one of the contributing factors,” Mr Witari explained.
According to the Courier Mail, stray dogs were vaccinated at the Bali State Polytechnic Campus in Jimbaran and along Jalan Pratama on July 10, while bite victims were referred to nearby health clinics for treatment.
Smart Traveller has also warned Australians that rabies remains a risk across Indonesia, stressing that the disease is always fatal once symptoms appear.
The advisory noted rabies is most commonly spread through bites from infected dogs, cats, and monkeys, though other mammals can transmit it as well.
Because of this, travellers are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated before visiting Bali and other popular destinations in the region.
Reflecting on her experience, Ms McDonald said: “If I had come across any information like this beforehand, I would have approached the park visit very differently. I would’ve been much more cautious, knowing something like this was a real possibility.
It completely ruined our trip.
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