Cindy Paine, 32, woke screaming in pain with blood spurting from her arm after being bitten by a marauding monkey.
The South Coast resident from Glenmore Beach is the third person recently attacked by a monkey while fast asleep, with animal rights activist Steve Smit suspecting a former pet monkey may be responsible for all three attacks.
On Friday, Paine said she went to lie down on the couch on Saturday, February 4, with her one-year-old daughter Abigail next to her on a baby cushion on the floor.
“I had my arm over my eyes and woke with this incredible pain. Blood was spurting from my arm. I saw a flash and this monkey standing up behind me on the back of the couch,” said Paine.
In a desperate effort to save her baby from harm, Paine said she leapt to her feet and pushed her sleeping baby towards the corner of the room.
“I was just screaming and I saw about 12 other monkeys sitting outside on the gate, watching what was happening,” said Paine.
Paine was taken to Port Shepstone Hospital for treatment for her badly injured arm.
“Due to possible infection, the bite could not be stitched.
“I feel scared to let my six-year-old son play outside now,” she said.
She said a visitor had also been bitten by a monkey in January while sleeping in his hotel room in the same area, while this week another man was bitten on the foot while sleeping in a holiday cottage.
Smit, of Monkey Helpline – who is based in Durban – confirmed they have received a number of calls about the three incidents.
But he said people being attacked while asleep was “totally out of character” for wild monkeys and they suspect the same monkey is responsible for all three incidents.
“This could well be a pet monkey, which has been released back into the wild.
“This monkey may well be familiar with snacks being available around a person lying on a couch watching television, or on a sundeck.
“Photos of the bites suggests they are defensive bites.
“When a monkey is in attack, it will bite five or six times within a few seconds and the wounds would be far deeper and more severe,” said Smit.
He added that had the monkey been the leader of the local troop, all the monkeys would have joined the attack and not simply sat on the sidelines.
He said if the monkey can be identified, they will assist KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife to catch the animal and relocate it.
And with angry residents threatening to go out and shoot monkeys, Smit said Monkey Helpline will be holding awareness talks in Port Edward, Uvongo and Hibberdene over the next few weeks.
“Shooting monkeys serves no purpose; residents need to understand the cause of the attacks,” said Smit. - The Independent on Saturday