Monkey see, monkey chase
There was a lot of monkeying around when a girl was chased by a Barbary macaque – nand it was caught on camera in a set of three amusing photos that have gone viral.
Karima Nabi, aged 18, was posing for a photograph next to a monkey at Trentham Monkey Forest, near Stoke-on-Trent, when she was caught by surprise as it started chasing her.
It was all caught on camera and the photographs on Twitter have now gone viral with over 42,000 retweets and 71,000 likes within four days.
Karima, who lives in Birmingham, said: "Me and my sister went to the monkey forest and we were walking around for a bit and we saw pictures of people taking pictures with the monkeys on the website.
"We saw the one monkey and my sister said why not get a photo so I went closer and it just chased me.
"I ran for a bit, I thought my life was going to be over. It was quite scary but my sister was not worried, she just carried on taking photos."
The reaction on social media has been predominantly positive with some users making her into a meme - a funny image that is copied and spread with different variations.
She posted the photo with the caption: 'A monkey tried to attack me yday.'
However some of the 300 social media users who replied to her Tweet have been less amused and have accused her of provoking it the animal.
"I have been able to make some people laugh but some people take it too seriously.
"They don't understand I did not go there to harm the animals."
Despite the negative reaction, she does not regret the photo because she is glad it made people smile.
Trentham Monkey Forest is the only place in the UK where visitors can walk amongst 140 Barbary macaques, an endangered animal. It gives people the chance to watch them being fed and learn about them.
There is 3-4 miles of pathways and the chance to get up close and personal with the animals - but not too close.
