Tourists in Bali are being warned to leave the island’s monkeys alone.
Those who have their sunglasses stolen or their mobile phone damaged by marauding monkeys probably don’t need the advice that comes from the operators of the Sangeh Monkey Forest.
Signage – effectively meaning ‘Don’t mess with the monkeys’ – is being introduced at the sanctuary to help remind tourists of the potential risks in engaging with the monkeys.
“The sign board is an anticipation of unwanted events because as we know monkeys are wild, anywhere in Sangeh, in Uluwatu, the animals are not allowed to be touched,” said the head of tourism management at Alas Pala Sangeh Monkey Forest, IB Gede Pujawan.
Pujawan noted that despite all efforts to maintain the safety of tourists during their visits to the attraction, there are always those who brazenly choose to flout the rules and ignore the instructions of forest guards.