MALACCA: An angry gibbon charged at a group of visitors at the zoo here and snatched a three-year-old boy from his father's arms before biting off part of the screaming boy's thigh.

Little Muhammad Afiq Haziq was violently attacked and had a chunk of flesh ripped off from his right thigh after the 15kg alpha male primate climbed down a tree and attacked the toddler.

The gibbon had earlier bitten another young visitor, five-year-old Zukrina Abdul Hadi, on her left ankle.

The girl received outpatient treatment at Malacca Hospital while doctors are attempting to save Muhammad Afiq's leg from being amputated.

In critical condition: Muhammad Afiq being warded at Malacca Hospital after the attack.

He is said to be in a critical condition.

The boy also suffered facial and bodily injuries in the ferocious attack that occurred at about 2.30pm on Tuesday.

Many families were spending the school holidays with their children at the zoo.

“I fear my son will be scarred and traumatised for life,” said the victim's 36-year-old mother Anita Sulaiman yesterday.

“He has lost a lot of blood,” she sobbed,

Anita said the family, from Klang in Selangor, had arrived at the zoo at about 1.30pm.

Her husband Kamarul Baharin, 38, held the boy while she took care of their 18-month-old daughter.

They were relaxing at an aviary park when they heard people screaming and saw the gibbon charging at the visitors.

In the commotion, Anita held on tight to her little girl.

“When I looked back, I saw my husband grappling with the gibbon.

“A visitor came to his aid and hit the gibbon, forcing it to release the child.

“My husband carried Muhammad Afiq and ran two kilometres to get medication, while I followed with the bits of his thigh in a plastic bag.”

Zoo authorities then rushed the child to hospital.

Asked if she saw any visitor provoking the ape, she said: “It appeared all of a sudden. I don't know why it went for my son.”

Malacca Zoo public relations officer Masri Mohd Arof extended the zoo's apology to the family, adding that the animal had been caught and quarantined.

“We will get animal biologists from Kuala Lumpur to probe the attack.

“We will also investigate how the gibbon crossed over to the park from its colony on a man-made island.

“Gibbons usually will not attack unless provoked,” he added.

• Unimech to list its Indonesian unit
• Maybank sells 9% stake of PT Bank International Indonesia
• KLCI closes 0.59% lower amidst Fed's end of stimulus, China slowdown
• More Singaporean companies making prompt payments
• Luster waiting for concrete offer before deciding
• Spot gold falls to lowest since January 2011
• Ivory Group to start phase 3 to 5 of Penang Times Square by year-end
• Japanese corporates might be eyeing Malaysia as operational hub
• MHTC eyes RM630mil revenue for medical tourism
• Lazada secures RM320mil fund
• MBM Resources targets RM4b revenue by 2015
• MRCB gets go-ahead for Nusa Gapurna merger (Update)
• Asian markets in the red, KLCI down 10 points at midday (Update)
• Malaysia PC sales hit 898,000 in Q1, 2013, Lenovo top vendor
• RHB Research maintains "Neutral" on auto sector

• China astronaut teaches lesson from space
• Singapore demands urgent Indonesia action on smog
• Assange says WikiLeaks assisting Snowden asylum bid
• Kim Dotcom slams Megaupload 'data massacre'
• Study: Jordan teens still 'honour killings' justified

• Murray poised to end Britain's 77 years of pain
• Steady as Jie goes
• Ferrer loses title after opening round loss
• Park preps for third major title bid at LPGA event
• Gavin Green confident he can take on title-holders this weekend
• Zhang switches focus on developing golf in China
• Thaworn hopes to find his ‘A’ game in Selangor Masters
• Paul Revington is glad to be back to train the Malaysian team
• Heavy task on Faizal’s shoulders
• Singapore Open: Chong Wei Feng fights to survive
• Rachel owes her rich vein of form to change in technique
• Future looks gloomy for men’s squash when Beng Hee calls it a day
• Khairy: RM8mil to be forked out for Sukma due to lack of sponsorship
• A chance for local cyclists to shine
• Rahul survives weekend of harsh hurdles in Norfolk

• Please wait.

• MCMC offers free money to small businesses, few takers
• It’s Honda Accord now for ministers
• Striptease queen married five times in search of true love, says author
• China’s Comtec to build one of world’s largest solar wafer making plants in Kuching for RM1.2bil
• Nightmare over topless pictures
• Haze: All Batu Pahat schools to close for two days
• Use of psychometrics assessment for employees can be controversial
• Singapore's air turns "hazardous" as Indonesian fires rage
• ‘Body buried 13 storeys deep’
• Haze: Muar’s 200 schools to close temporarily from today’s afternoon session