An Australian family’s trip to Monkey Beach on Ko Phi Phi Don island turned into a nightmare when they were attacked by a group of monkeys. The incident was captured on video and has gone viral on social media.
The Family’s Ordeal
Riley Whitelum and Elayna Carausu, who run the popular YouTube channel Sailing La Vagabonde, were visiting the island with their two young sons, Lenny and Darwin. While on the beach, they were watching some monkeys when one of the primates started to go through their bag. Whitelum ran toward the monkey to scare it away, but it lunged at his son, Darwin.
Whitelum immediately picked up his screaming child and tried to retrieve their bag, but a group of monkeys swarmed him, preventing him from getting to it. The bag contained their passports, wallets, and phones, but no food.
Whitelum eventually managed to get the bag and their belongings back, but not without getting bitten by one of the monkeys. He was left with a bleeding cut on his hand that required medical attention.
The Aftermath
Whitelum and his family sought medical attention at a local clinic, where they were informed that they treat one to two people every day for monkey bites.
Whitelum required several injections to protect him against rabies, a potentially fatal virus that can be spread to humans from the saliva of infected animals.
The family’s experience was a harrowing reminder of the dangers of interacting with wild animals. Monkey Beach is notorious for monkey attacks, but the family admitted they had not done their research before visiting the island.
Since 2014, Benny A. King has been fully immersed in the world of combat sports. Starting with a blog about Greco Roman wrestling, Benny’s passion for combat sports has led him to explore various disciplines.