Escaped pet monkey attacks six-year-old boy in Istanbul park

ISTANBUL

A pet monkey escaped from a balcony of a house and attacked children playing in a park in the Fatih district of Istanbul on Sept. 22.

The monkey bit a six-year-old child in the park, inflicting serious injuries and prompting his mother to file a complaint against the owner of the monkey.

The owner, who was of Georgian origin and only identified by the initials N.T., reportedly bought the monkey from a pet shop in the northwestern province of Edirne and was keeping it in the house. 

The monkey, which was chained to the balcony of the house, managed to escape and ran down the street toward the park.

The child, Ömer Tuna, was playing in Fındıkzade Park with his mother when the monkey struck. 

Tuna was rescued thanks to the efforts of his mother and people nearby and was taken to the nearby Haseki Training and Research Hospital, where his treatment is ongoing.

Tuna’s family have applied to the prosecutor’s office and filed a complaint against the owner of the monkey, with the local prosecutor’s office launching an investigation into the incident.