The basic Aussie survival skill we forget as soon as we go overseas
We've read the signs at the entrance to the gardens that say not to feed the animals or have food out in the open, so while we duly put away our snacks, we forget the basic rule of survival: never get too close to the wildlife.
Would I have approached the brown snake in my garden to get a selfie? No. So why did I think a macaque would be any different?
While our encounter results in nothing more than a bruised ego, many Australians are not so lucky. Insurer World Travel Protection (WTP) says they deal with at least one animal bite or injury a day. You can be sure that if someone is calling their insurer, they're not concerned about injuries fixed with a dab of antiseptic and some plaster.
Monkey and dog bites are some of the most common injuries resulting in insurance claims in Bali and other parts of Asia, and they both require treatment for rabies. Cats, squirrels, and even camels can also transmit rabies.
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By the time symptoms appear – perhaps your hand is red, and you have a headache or feel feverish – it could be too late.
'Rabies risk is something we deal with often,' says Deb Harvey, of WTP. 'If you get bitten or scratched it's imperative you get the right treatment quickly.'
Unfortunately, finding the correct treatment isn't always easy. 'We had a case where a man was bitten by a dog in Bali,' says Harvey. 'Because of supply issues, there was no immunoglobulin available locally. We had to fly him back to Australia for time-critical treatment.'
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