In the line of duty: Female news reporter attacked by "Godzilla" the macaque faces ICU

[webfact]

Picture: Daily News

 

A female Thai reporter who covered the story about the removal of an overweight macaque called Godzilla from a Minburi, Bangkok, market has reported being attacked by the monkey.

 

After two surgeries her hand wound is seriously infected and she is facing having to go into ICU. 

 

Pleng Nuthcha used her Facebook page to recount what happened to her when she was covering the story the week before last. She had remained silent up till now.

 

She had been warned to keep her distance as monkeys like this can be dangerous as she went with National Park's officers to remove the monkey from the possession of a stall holder.

 

He claimed in reports at the time that "Godzilla" a three year eight month monkey that "was part of the family" wouldn't hurt anyone. 

 

Picture: Daily News

 

Godzilla should have weighed 8-10 kilos but he had been fed scraps by passers-by and had ballooned to 20 kilos.

 

Pleng said that she kept her distance from Godzilla as advised but the owner kept saying that his pet was not dangerous and she let down her guard a little and approached, reported Daily News 

 

Then the monkey lunged forward on a too short leash and attacked her on the hand causing a biting wound that cut to the bone. 

 

She immediately went for hospital treatment but after three transfers and two surgeries the wound has become seriously infected and now she fears that she will have to go into ICU. 

 

She is currently hospitalized awaiting more tests on the infection. 

 

 

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[JoePai]

Nasty little blighters, as I have mentioned before, lay out poison for them

[MasterBaker]

According to a Nation Thailand report, doctors say Natcha’s white blood cell count has dropped to 3,000/ml. Normal levels are around 4,500-10,000/ml. It’s understood she is unable to get out of bed and, while no virus was detected in her blood, doctors believe she may have a bone infection.

A veterinarian from the DNP says monkeys can also carry rabies and tetanus. There is nothing to indicate that Godzilla was ever vaccinated.

[greenmonkey]

Well I'm confused. My wife has been telling about this story and how all the netizens are criticizing the reporter for approaching the 'pet' monkey after the many warnings from the owner that the monkey is NOT friendly. In the above report is states that the owner kept telling her the monkey IS friendly.

 

Either way, for me it's not important but when I asked my wife how many of the Thai netizens had questioned why the monkey was being kept as a 'pet' in the first place.... needless to say I was met with a blank expression and a 'what does that have to do with anything' face!

 

Why do they always focus on the wrong thing here!

[xtrnuno41]

Hello, it is an animal ! No matter what you can always be bitten.

Specially if the situation is different then normal, its their last way out.

 

[Thingamabob]

6 hours ago, JoePai said:

Nasty little blighters, as I have mentioned before, lay out poison for them

Shameful comment.

[rcuthbert]

Remember what "beloved, part of the family" Travis the chimp did to Charla Nash: (WARNING - GRAPHIC PHOTO FOLLOWS -)

 

 

"The emergency crew described Nash's injuries as "horrendous".Within the following 72 hours, Nash underwent more than seven hours of surgery on her face and hands by four teams of surgeons. The hospital provided counseling to its staff members who initially treated her because of the extraordinary nature of Nash's wounds.Paramedics noted she lost her hands, nose, eyes, lips, and mid-face bone structure, and received significant brain tissue injuries.Doctors reattached her jaw, but announced on April 7, 2009, that Nash would be blind for life. Her injuries made her a possible candidate for an experimental face transplant surgery.^"

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travis_(chimpanzee)

[jaiyenyen]

6 hours ago, JoePai said:

Nasty little blighters, as I have mentioned before, lay out poison for them

Really??

I'm sure some news reporters are okay

[digger70]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

He claimed in reports at the time that "Godzilla" a three year eight month monkey that "was part of the family" wouldn't hurt anyone. 

Yea right ,Those pests are on the same par as Soi Dogs . Exterminate is the Solution

[connda]

I really dislike monkeys.  Especially ones that are not afraid of humans. 
Nasty animals.  But - when someone tells you that their animal would not hurt a fly, it's time to give that animal wide berth.  I sure as hell don't tell people my animals don't bite.  Conversely, I warn them to stay away from my pets.
All our gates are locked.  If people come in the dogs are locked up and the people warned not to interact with the dogs or open the gates.  If someone comes over the wall - trespass this household at your own risk.  Yes.  Our animals bite.  Even the cats.  Don't come in unless invited. 
And trusting a monkey not to bite you?  That was foolish.  Hope she doesn't lose the hand.  Unlike the US, the Thai court probably wouldn't care.  Defame someone and go to jail; have someone's animal maul you or a child and nothing happens.  Seems to be the way of it.

 

[BritManToo]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

After two surgeries her hand wound is seriously infected and she is facing having to go into ICU. 

her fault for not cleaning her wound and taking antibiotics.

could have  the same problems from an infected mosquito bite.

not really the monkeys fault

[Huckenfell]

3 hours ago, rcuthbert said:

Remember what "beloved, part of the family" Travis the chimp did to Charla Nash: (WARNING - GRAPHIC PHOTO FOLLOWS -)

 

 

"The emergency crew described Nash's injuries as "horrendous".Within the following 72 hours, Nash underwent more than seven hours of surgery on her face and hands by four teams of surgeons. The hospital provided counseling to its staff members who initially treated her because of the extraordinary nature of Nash's wounds.Paramedics noted she lost her hands, nose, eyes, lips, and mid-face bone structure, and received significant brain tissue injuries.Doctors reattached her jaw, but announced on April 7, 2009, that Nash would be blind for life. Her injuries made her a possible candidate for an experimental face transplant surgery.^"

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travis_(chimpanzee)

I would not want this operation if i were blind.

[tifino]

 

bet she thought on the way there she'd have been writing up a funnies pages story about a chimp...

[rcuthbert]

33 minutes ago, Huckenfell said:

I would not want this operation if i were blind.

Imagine her horror. I would overdose on heavy pain killers.

 

[nahkit]

13 hours ago, webfact said:

She had been warned to keep her distance as monkeys like this can be dangerous

 

Says it all.

[hotchilli]

15 hours ago, greenmonkey said:

Why do they always focus on the wrong thing here!

Education?

[kwak250]

I used to think they were ok but seen a few people get a nasty bite from them and then after reading too many Dean Koontz novels i keep clear of them.

[brianthainess]

Had a monkey one time break off a tree branch and throw it down at me, while getting on my M/C nasty as fork they are.

[robblok]

20 hours ago, tifino said:

 

bet she thought on the way there she'd have been writing up a funnies pages story about a chimp...

I hope not would be really dumb if she thought that an interaction with a macaque would help her write stories about a chimp. Totally different species.

[impulse]

On 4/3/2021 at 7:50 AM, BritManToo said:

her fault for not cleaning her wound and taking antibiotics.

could have  the same problems from an infected mosquito bite.

not really the monkeys fault

She immediately went for hospital treatment but after three transfers and two surgeries the wound has become seriously infected and now she fears that she will have to go into ICU. 

[scubascuba3]

On 4/4/2021 at 9:31 AM, brianthainess said:

Had a monkey one time break off a tree branch and throw it down at me, while getting on my M/C nasty as fork they are.

are you sure the branch didn't just break off and you imagined the rest?

 

I've seen loads of wild monkeys, usually they just run out of the way