“I have heard the news about the infection this morning but I am not worried,” said civil servant Emily Tse, 47, who was hiking with her daughter.
“If you don’t approach the monkeys, they will leave you alone. We have the trekking poles to drive them away if necessary,” Tse said.
The government renewed the warnings over offering food to the animals after a 37-year-old man tested positive on Wednesday for the deadly B virus, also known as the human simiae virus. He was attacked by a monkey in late February before being admitted to Tsuen Wan’s Yan Chai Hospital with a fever and “decreased conscious level” on March 21.
He remained in a critical condition as of Thursday.
Tse said she noticed fewer monkeys along the trial compared with previous visits.
Pun Ganga Maya, a 21-year-old restaurant worker who was gathering with family at the Kam Shan Country Park Barbecue Site, said she would be more cautious after learning of the infection.
“I only saw one monkey today and it went up the hill very [quickly],” she said.
Several people at the barbecue area said the number of monkeys had declined in recent years. One man posted a video of himself feeding a bag of snacks to a monkey on Thursday morning, with the animal collecting some off the ground before running away.
At around 5pm, a man who declined to be interviewed arrived at the bus stop of Shek Lei Pui Reservoir at the country park with a box of fruits. He gave bananas and apples to the monkeys, playing with them as about 10 of the animals gathered and fought for the food.
Authorities have urged residents not to feed monkeys or eat in front of them, as well as avoid direct eye contact to prevent potentially provoking the animals.
Hong Kong’s first human case of B virus fighting for his life after monkey attack
Hong Kong’s first human case of B virus fighting for his life after monkey attack
Anyone convicted of illegally feeding wild animals, including monkeys, may face a maximum fine of HK$10,000 under the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance.
“There are always some people trying to feed them, although you can see ‘no feeding’ signs everywhere,” said Anthony Fung, a doctor in his 60s who regularly exercises in the country park.
“I have seen four to five cars here in the early evening with boxes of fruits and food for the monkeys. Some people just have nothing to do and enjoy time with the monkeys; others believe that the wild monkeys don’t have enough food in the mountains,” he said.
“But they are wildlife and you have to respect natural law.”
A Filipino woman who only gave her name as Joyce said she would keep her distance.
“Monkeys are like human beings. If you don’t trigger them, they will mind their own business. If you bother them, they will defend [themselves],” she said.
Joyce said she and her friends saw two men trying to shake a tree and wave a banana at two monkeys, adding the surprising scene saddened her. “It is the monkeys’ place anyway and we are the guests. We can’t interrupt their lives like that,” she said.
Mark Mak Chi-ho, executive chairman of the Non-Profit Making Veterinary Service Society, said incidents between residents and monkeys were “common”, including cases of people shooting the animals with air guns or having their food stolen.
“The incident is magnified due to the virus infection, but the reason behind it is the vague boundary between the city and nature,” he said, noting that development encroaching into rural areas over the years had increased contact between humans and wildlife.
He said residents should not feed or play with monkeys, urging the government to step up city planning efforts to better prevent residents getting too close to the animals.
Mak said the Kam Shan Country Park was poorly designed with a car park located at Tai Po Road near residential blocks and bus stops, calling on authorities to learn from Singapore’s “Eco-Link” project.
Hong Kong’s wild boar numbers dropped by 26% last year as culling ramped up
Hong Kong’s wild boar numbers dropped by 26% last year as culling ramped up
He was referring to a tree-covered bridge built over the Bukit Timah Expressway and designed to provide a seamless connection for wildlife to move between two nature reserves.
Mak said he believed similar structures in Hong Kong could help keep animals and humans better separated.
Infectious disease specialist Dr Joseph Tsang Kay-yan said residents should wash their wounds with water and soap if they were injured by monkeys or came into contact with their body fluids, such as saliva, urine or stool. He urged people to seek medical attention immediately in such cases.
“If one can begin treatment of post-exposure prophylaxis, which are antivirals, within 72 hours [after getting in contact with monkeys] … their chance of getting symptoms of B virus infection can be significantly reduced and fatal complications can be minimised,” said Tsang, adding that the oral medication was usually taken for two weeks.
People who only sought medical attention after symptoms emerged might need to receive the antivirals intravenously, he said.
Additional reporting by Elizabeth Cheung
