When Monkeys Attack: Primate Bites Ear Of Makeup Artist For 'Pirates Of The Caribbean' Movie

A woman in her 50s reportedly suffered injuries after a capuchin monkey attacked her on the set of “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” in Australia. The “unprovoked attack” was said to be caused by a monkey that will appear in the movie.

According to the Gold Coast Bulletin, paramedics were called in because the attack left the woman bleeding. The woman was reportedly treated at the scene by the movie crew’s first-aid staff, and the bleeding was said to be under control before paramedics arrived. She was sent to a hospital for further treatment.

The woman is said to be one of the makeup artists for the movie. According to the report, she was sitting near a soundstage when the monkey, which had “wandered off,” approached and bit one of her ears. The woman was said to be “interacting with the monkey” when the attack happened.

The monkey reportedly received “all the necessary vaccinations” to be in Australia, a country that has stringent biosecurity laws with regard to imported animals. However, a few citizens have raised concerns against the use of capuchin monkeys in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie.

According to the Petition Site, more than 82,000 people have signed a request for the producers to not use capuchin monkeys in the movie. The petition suggests that the monkeys may have been removed from their social group, subjected to stressful transport and denied the opportunity to express their natural behavior.

This is not the first injury on the sets of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie. Production was briefly halted when star Johnny Depp, who plays Captain Jack Sparrow, injured a wrist and had to fly back to the U.S. for treatment. In addition, cast member Kaya Scodelario recently suffered a shoulder injury on the set.

The movie is slated to be released July 7, 2017, in the U.S.