A TROOP of Barbary macaque apes left a British man needing 40 stitches after the ‘worst attack’ nurses have ever seen.
Stuart Gravenell, 53, from Gloucestershire, has been left with nerve damage in his left arm following the savage attack in Gibraltar’s nature reserve while on a family holiday.
The retired IT consultant was walking with his 22-year-old son Bradley when the apes jumped him.
The largest ape sunk his teeth deep into Gravenell’s arm and shook his head so much that he lost consciousness.
Gravenell said: “You just wouldn’t believe how traumatic it was. It was a very, very upsetting experience. It was supposed to be a nice family holiday and it was totally ruined.
“I have no recollection of the actual incident – I think I must have blocked it out. But Bradley said it just ran up and stopped dead in its tracks and jumped on me – half on my back and half of my shoulder.
“When it finally jumped off, it just sat on the wall looking at me. Blood was pouring and spurting everywhere – it was like a tap.”
After being bitten, Gravenell was rushed to St Bernard’s Hospital, where nurses reportedly treat at least two ape-inflicted injuries a week.
He was given 20 numbing injections and 40 stitches to inch-deep wounds that nurses said were the worst they had even seen.
In a move to prevent similar attacks, Gibraltar’s environmental agency shipped the Rock’s 30 most mischievous macaques to a nature reserve in Scotland at the beginning of October.
next article about this will probably be. and then the real story comes out that he was holding one of the baby apes for a photo which is warned against.
That is punishment for the apes, being sent to Scotland from Gib!
Is it confirmed that he was attacked by the apes and not by the locals?
Big Bob you are probably correct. Even some of the tour guides encourage them.
Big Bob please note that ‘unprovoked’ attacks have been steadily increasing, most Gibraltar residents and frequent visitors are aware of this, the truth is they need better management and detox from the junk food they have been getting their hands on from visitors. The British forces knew how to look after them well sadly ‘management’ has changed and their behaviour has steadily changed with this. They are of course very cute but be warned dangerous…
We were ‘attacked ‘ in the summer, so funny it was but it did scare most at the time. They were in the cable car before it had even fully stopped, it was the highlight of the trip. My Wife dropped her bag and ran for cover, they went through it and thankfully left us with the mobile phone.