Hongkongers defy warnings, feed monkeys at country park, as man fights for life after B virus infection following attack

Residents seen feeding monkeys at Kam Shan Country Park, where man was earlier attacked, in defiance of renewed warnings

Man has become city’s first human case of deadly B virus and remains in a critical condition after being admitted to hospital

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A monkey on a railing at the Kam Shan Country Park. Some hikers say they have seen fewer of the animals in the area recently. Photo: Dickson Lee

Published: 9:00pm, 4 Apr 2024Updated: 8:46am, 5 Apr 2024

Some fearless Hongkongers defied warnings and played with monkeys at a country park on Thursday, as a man fought for his life a day after being confirmed as the city’s first human case of the deadly B virus following an attack by one of the animals.

Residents were making the most of their day off for the Ching Ming Festival, heading out for scenic hikes and picnics at monkey hotspots in Kam Shan Country Park, where the man suffered his injuries.

Some were seen feeding the animals in defiance of renewed warnings, while one resident hiking in the area said she was unfazed.

“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 earlier tested positive for the deadly B virus, also known as the human simiae virus.