Watch Angry Monkeys Launch an Aerial Attack on Two People Trying to Enjoy a Kayak Ride

The two monkeys in this clip are not at all impressed by the invasion of their territory by some kayakers. They leap onto one of the kayakers who has to stop paddling to fend them off. His mate has to drag him away from the trees and eventually the monkeys let go. Scroll down to see the full extraordinary clip of two monkeys versus two kayakers at the edge of a river!

Is It Normal for Monkeys to Attack Humans?

It is unusual, but not unheard of, for primates including monkeys to attack humans. A recent study reviewed media reports and published scientific reports to try to quantify the number of attacks. The Humane Society of the United States identified 275 attacks by captive primates between 1990 and 2013 many of the victims were children and some lost their fingers. There are no single species of ape or monkey involved in the attacks. Many different types of primates have attacked humans including chimpanzees, gorillas, macaques, lemurs, and marmosets. Records also show that tourists have been targeted by macaques and capuchin monkeys when they were visiting parts of Asia. Attacks are particularly likely if you try to pat, feed, or photograph the monkeys.  

Primate attacks present several problems for humans. The bites and scratches hurt and cause trauma to soft tissue. However, they can also cause localized infections or more generalized sepsis. It is unusual to contract serious infections from a monkey. Nevertheless, they do carry diseases such as rabies and the herpes B virus.

How to Avoid a Monkey Attack

Authorities in the Chandigarh area of India have become so worried about monkey attacks they have issued advice on how to avoid them. The top tip is to not make direct eye contact with monkeys and not irritate or tease them in any way. Most of the time, if you leave them alone they will leave you alone. The most dangerous things you can do is to go near a dead or wounded monkey or to get in between a mother and her baby!

Most monkeys are scared of loud sudden noises so if you can make a loud banging sound you will normally scare them away. Interestingly, most monkeys are also sacred of snakes so carrying a plastic snake with you can be very useful!

See the Astonishing Clip Below

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Sompao/Shutterstock.com