Korean tourist bitten by monkey at Taj Mahal waits over an hour for ambulance

An incident in which a Korean tourist was bitten by a monkey at the Taj Mahal — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of India's most iconic attractions — and then waited more than an hour for an ambulance is stirring controversy.

According to India Today and The Indian Express, a Korean tourist identified only as A was attacked by a monkey and bitten on the arm at the Taj Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, in northern India, on Sunday.

Video circulating on social media showed A bleeding from the arm, pressing the wound with one hand, and being guided by a local resident to a nearby clinic.

India's Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the government body that manages the monument, immediately requested an ambulance from health authorities, but local media reported it failed to arrive for about an hour.

A ultimately received first aid at a health center and then traveled to a nearby private hospital by auto-rickshaw, a local three-wheeled taxi.

Taj Mahal official Kalandar told India Today that ASI staff arrived at the scene immediately after confirming the attack. "We called for an ambulance right away, but the driver did not come for more than an hour," he said.

He said he considered the delay a serious lapse, adding that he had filed a report detailing the circumstances and requested appropriate action from medical authorities.

An official at the South Korean Embassy in India said the embassy received no report of the incident on the day it occurred, and that staff learned of the details through an acquaintance of the victim after reviewing local media coverage.

In recent weeks, video of several monkeys splashing around in a pond inside the Taj Mahal gardens has also spread online.

According to ASI, the number of monkeys and stray dogs at the Taj Mahal has been growing. The agency notified Agra authorities about the problem and requested the animals be captured about a month ago, but no meaningful action has been taken since.

Local internet users criticized the authorities' response, saying animal management at tourist sites should be stricter and that basic infrastructure such as first-aid facilities is lacking.

The Taj Mahal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Construction began in 1631 and was completed 22 years later. Situated on the banks of the Yamuna River, it is one of India's premier tourist destinations, drawing more than 800,000 foreign tourists annually, with total annual visitors reaching several million when domestic tourists are included.