Drunk zoo visitor ends up in hospital after climbing into monkey enclosure 'to play'

By Daily Mail Reporter


Seconds from harm: Joao Leite Dos Santos wades towards the spider mnkeys after having jumped into their enclosure at the Sorocaba Zoo, Sao Paulo, Brazil


An amateur cameraman has captured the insane moment a drunk zoo visitor jumped into a monkey enclosure to 'play with them', and ended up with severe bite marks after the animals attacked.

Joao Leite Dos Santos, a mechanic in Sao Paulo, Brazil, admitted that he had been drinking alcohol when he went to the Sorocaba Zoo on Sunday.

Thinking that it would be fun to join the zoo's colony of spider monkeys, he climbed over a fence and swam across a dividing pool to get closer to the animals, as amused tourists looked on.

Sinking in: Mr Dos Santos, even in his drunken state, is probably regretting his prank as the territorial spider monkeys attack him, biting his right wrist and elbow


Many kept their cameras trained on Mr Dos Santos and laughed as his presence in the water startled the monkeys.

A group of the long-limbed primates gathered at the water's edge, and one in particular kept reaching out for Mr Dos Santos in a bid to grab a hold of him.

Thinking that the monkeys were inviting him to join them, Mr Dos Santos moved close enough for them to grab hold of his arm.


Rapid escape: Now clearly in pain, Mr Dos Santos grabs the outstretched belt of a horrified onlooker as he attempts to get out of the enclosure

Gory aftermath: As zoo officials surround him, Mr Dos Santos bleeds heavily from a bite wound on his right wrist. He was later taken to hospital


Almost immediately, one of the spider monkeys sank its sharp teach into Mr Dos Santos's wrist, while another bit his elbow and shoulder.

The monkeys are fiercely territorial and had been sizing Mr Dos Santos up from the moment he climbed over the fence.


Realising the monkeys were not in a playful mood, and now in excruciating pain, Mr Dos Santos waded back towards the horrified onlookers and was dragged out of the water and over the enclosure fence.

He lay on the ground for several minutes, in a growing pool of his own blood, while zoo workers tried to work out what to do.

Her was eventually taken to hospital, where he was treated for severe bites to his right arm and shoulder, and gave sheepish interviews to the local media. It is not known whether he will face criminal charges for his prank.


source: dailymail