Attacked by a monkey in the jungle yesterday.

[fiddlehead]

I've done a lot of backpacking over the last 33 years.

I have never been attacked by a (supposedly) wild animal before, although there were some scary times: false charged by a black bear to within 8 feet on the AT in '95, rabid fox on the trail in Georgia in '89, jumped over a sleeping brown bear in CO in 2001 after jumping over a blowdown who then turned on me but then thought and changed his mind, etc.

BUT, yesterday, I was attacked by a gibbon monkey in the jungle on my continuing trailblazing for a 100 mile long trail here in Phuket, Thailand. The encounter lasted at least 10 minutes and at one point, he jumped on my backpack and was pulling my hair!

Too long to post here so, here is a link to my blog entry about it.

[Dances with Mice]

I really like how the sign just assumes that anyone stupid enough to be bushwhacking out there in the middle of rehabbed gibbon country must be able to read English.

[fiddlehead]

I really like how the sign just assumes that anyone stupid enough to be bushwhacking out there in the middle of rehabbed gibbon country must be able to read English.

I was surprised that the sign was in English.
I cannot read Thai so yes, I agree with you.
The sign actually was on a nature trail that I used to bail out.

[sasquatch2014]

After all that I think I would have said Phuket myself.

[Old Grouse]

A gibbon isn't a monkey, by the way. Primate, yes - monkey, no. I suppose that's cold comfort.

[moytoy]

I pulled this off of Wiki "They are strongly territorial, and defend their boundaries with vigorous visual and vocal displays."
I guess you got in his territory.

[fiddlehead]

Yes, that's what the sign said (the sign was after the encounter)
But, this was way more than visual and vocal.
He jumped on my back and grabbed me numerous times including ripped out some of my hair!

[Dances with Mice]

Yes, that's what the sign said (the sign was after the encounter)
But, this was way more than visual and vocal.
He jumped on my back and grabbed me numerous times including ripped out some of my hair!

Really strange. Gibbons has enough hair. You're lucky he didn't hit you with his guitar and strangle you with his beard.

Kinda long way from LaGrange though....

[toenail]

Have you ever seen those red-assed monkeys? You know, the one's with no hair on there ass? I think those red-ass monkeys are what you are talking about. I don't know about no guitar-playin red-ass monkey, but I had one **** in his hand and throw it at me when I was 9. That's what I'm thinkin.

[Wise Old Owl]

A gibbon isn't a monkey, by the way. Primate, yes - monkey, no. I suppose that's cold comfort.

One does not contemplate on the primate on your back when its pulling your hair......

[thelowend]

Really strange. Gibbons has enough hair. You're lucky he didn't hit you with his guitar and strangle you with his beard.

Kinda long way from LaGrange though....

"ah hm hm hm"

[Pokey2006]

A monkey stole my bottle of orange soda once. Evil, evil creatures.

[Spirit Walker]

Sounds like you were lucky to get out with so little real damage - except to your sense of feeling safe in the wild. That may take some time to return.

[fiddlehead]

Thanks Spirit Walker and all of you.
Yes it was a scary scary feeling although I will go back.
Next time maybe with a water pistol or something similar I am thinking.

But, I have a friend here who is a reporter and wants to put this episode in the newspaper.
He tells me that it is a very controversial project for this exact reason.
That the gibbons returned to the wild will perhaps never regain their fear of man and it is quite dangerous to go into their areas.

If he publishes, there is a possibility that the gibbon rehabilitation project could be disbanded.

I don't know if I want to be part of the reason for shutting this thing down.
Saving a few gibbons at the possible expense of hurting some people.
I am thinking what about my kid if he were to be attacked in this way.
It would probably screw him up for life.
I do want to take my son into the jungle on a nearby nature walk when he is able to do the whole 8 kms.
But, not now.

What to do? It is quite a dilemma.

What would some of you suggest?

[Pedaling Fool]

Human safety Vs wants of nature…where does it stop? At 6,7,8,9…billion.
I understand your dilemma, but maybe it just doesn’t matter in view of the larger picture.

I don’t know what to say.

[Tabasco]

Am I the only one hearing Axl Rose wailing "Welcome to the Jungle" in the back of his head right now?

[Snowleopard]

Fiddlehead, I'm glad you weren't seriously injured. Apes are really strong. I hope you can find a way to feel safe in the forest again.

Gibbons are apes. They usually travel by brachiation (hand over hand in the trees) at speeds up to 56 kilometers/hr (35 mph). So their arms are probably really strong for their size.

Gibbons are rare enough that it might be easy to avoid their habitat. Maybe you can email people involved with gibbon preservation in Thailand and find out where they are (and where they are not). Also, people who study gibbon behavior might have advice on how to behave to avoid another attack or what to do in an attack. Google can find these for you. I used to know primatologists (through an ex-girlfriend). My only experience with primates in the wild is with tamarins in the Amazon. These are a small monkey about as large as a squirrel -- not very fearsome.

[fiddlehead]

Thanks Snowleopard. (and all)
I'm finding out more and more about gibbons and the area where i was attacked.
Seems it is a very controversial project and many people have been trying to stop it.
Yes, this animal could've done a lot more harm to me than he did.
There wasn't much I could do back. He was too fast.

The problem seems to be that many believe that you cannot take a animal that has been tamed and make him wild again.
Especially on an island the size of Phuket.
35 miles by 7 miles with at least a half million people on it.

That's not to say there's not jungle here and wild animals.
The tourists are mostly at the beaches and the hordes of Thais who move here mostly live in the towns and cities.

Only the rubber tree farmers who are mostly illegal Burmese workers live in the jungle and they don't even speak Thai (most of them) so, I can't even use my limited Thai language to talk to them except to ask for water or accept a banana or coffee or similar.

I am leaning towards allowing the story to be published.
At least more people will be aware of the dangers and possibly the rehabilitation center will be moved to a more remote area or even island where there is less chance of attacks.

The downside is the gibbons themselves of course, and they may have to stay in cages.
And the trail itself will possibly never be completed. (going on 3 years of my work exploring the route now)
Or someone else could be attacked with worth consequences than I had.

[Doooglas]

That's why I carry armament.
I'da eaten the little Phuker for dinner.

[Spogatz]

MMmmmmmmmmm Gibbons.....Good eatin'