A 12-year-old boy is the latest victim of a series of wild monkey attacks at a scenic park in Southwest China's Sichuan Province.
Xiao Jie (pseudonym) suffered serious head injuries after he was swarmed by a mob of monkeys while making his way home from school through the Lushan Scenic Zone in Xichang, the Western China Metropolis Daily reported on Monday.
Three men working nearby came to the rescue and drove the monkeys away before alerting park authorities.
Jie was taken to hospital where he received 30 stitches in his head and treatment for bites and scratches.
Park administrators have vowed to cover Jie's medical expenses, the report said.
This is not the first time the authorities have had to answer for such attacks at the park, where the monkeys are among the main tourism draws.
More than 70 such cases have occurred the park this year, many of which resulted in settlements for medical fees.
The attacks persist despite efforts to curtail breeding and reduce the monkey population, including the capture of more than 100 monkeys in 2015.
From 2008 to 2009, staff members at Lushan added contraceptive pills to the primates' food in a failed attempt to curb their increasing numbers.
The park is now aiming to relocate 110 monkeys known for aggression, said Li Zongwen, a local official.
While monkeys are a major draw for many scenic areas, they are known for both harassing tourists and attacks that are sometimes deadly.
In April, Weng Mao, former president of food giant Gysgroup, died after being struck by a rock kicked by a monkey while visiting an attraction in Henan Province.
