A tourist has been hit with a staggering $6,000 in medical bills after being bitten by a monkey while on holiday in Bali.
Jami Groves was traveling with a friend to the Indonesian island when she was bitten by a monkey while posing for photos at an animal sanctuary.
on a social network mail“I never liked monkeys anyway,” Ms Groves wrote, posting several images of herself with the animals.
In a video recorded by a friend, Ms Groves is seen lying in a hospital bed talking to medical staff.
The friend asked one of the staff: ‘So if you get rabies, you’ll never get better?’
One of the medical staff responded in a very serious tone: “No, by the time you know he has rabies it will be too late.”
Then the two women burst out laughing.
An Australian tourist received a $6,000 bill after being bitten by a monkey in Bali
Ms. Groves managed to see the fun side of potentially becoming infected with rabies.
Groves confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that he had taken out travel insurance
His reaction seems to confuse the local medical staff.
Still trying to control her laughter, Mrs Groves replied: “It’s not funny, it’s not funny.”
He then bursts out laughing once more before repeating, “Sorry, it’s not funny” before the video ends.
Ms Groves told Daily Mail Australia she had to pay around $4,200 for the post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) doses, including international transaction and other bank fees.
He said he had to buy two additional doses in Australia for $300 each.
He confirmed that he did have travel insurance.
PEP is an effective method to prevent rabies from reaching the central nervous system, which usually causes death.
The intelligent traveler website warns that rabies is a risk in Indonesia.
It states that tourists should avoid contact with monkeys even in places where interaction is encouraged, including sanctuaries, tourist destinations, forests and popular markets.
The website warns: “Rabies treatment in Indonesia may be limited, including rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin availability.”
“If you are bitten, you may need to return to Australia or travel to another country for immediate treatment,” it reads.
Groves’ followers on social media saw the funny side of the incident.
“Girl, you don’t know how much I laughed at the rage video,” one said.
Interactions with monkeys are very popular among tourists in Bali.
The Sacred Monkey Forest, also known as Ubud Monkey Forest, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Bali.
Located in Padangtegal village in Ubud, it is home to more than 1,200 long-tailed macaque monkeys.
