Man attacked by starving monkey

A man has been admitted at the Nyeri Provincial General Hospital after he was attacked by a monkey at Watuka Village in Kieni West district.

John Mwangi, 44, was attacked when he attempted to chase starving monkeys, which were destroying crops at his farm.

Speaking to Nation on Wednesday, Mr Mwangi said he managed to chase a troop of monkeys feeding on his crops except for one male monkey, which retaliated.

Attempts by Mr Mwangi’s dog to scare off the monkey failed as it remained unperturbed. The male monkey then attacked the dog as well as its owner.

“I screamed as the monkey bit my leg. I hit it hard on its stomach before it let go. I have never seen anything like this my whole life," he said.

Area residents who heard him scream for help found him writhing in pain as they took him to hospital at 2:30pm.

He suffered from a fractured right arm and deep wounds on both legs and hands.

He said that men have to spend the whole day guarding their farms from the monkeys which have been in the village for many years.

Mr Mwangi said that monkeys had overwhelmed local residents who now have to rely on Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officers to contain them.

“The monkeys are not afraid of women and children. If they can attack a grownup man, what will they do with the children?” he asked.