The #1 source for news about monkeys and apes

["carrie mclaren" <brooklynite282 AT gmail.com>]

An orangutan has had a fight with a French tourist at a wildlife sanctuary.
http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?in_article_id=67443&in_page_id=2
Tuesday, September 25, 2007

The animal left the visitors bruised and scratched in a tussle for her 
backpack.

Odile Nordon, 24, was taking photographs of female orangutan Delima
when attacked at Malaysia's Semenggoh Wildlife Centre on Borneo
island.

Delima was roaming free when she grabbed at Ms Nordon's backpack,
according to chief park warden Wilfred Landong.

They fought briefly over the bag, with Delima ripping Nordon's
trousers. Park rangers gave the tourist medical treatment.

Mr Ladong said: "She had scratches and bruise marks on her knees and thighs."

Ms Nordon, who managed to keep her backpack, said she had thought
orangutans were "friendly, cuddly creatures".

"It's a painful lesson to find out the truth," she added.

Mr Landong said: "We are not faulting anyone. But we remind tourists
that they should not go too near the orangutans."

Orangutans are native to the forests of Malaysia and Indonesia.