A drunk zoo visitor got more than he bargained for when he jumped into the Spider Monkey enclosure at a Brazil zoo to 'play with them'.

Joao Leite Dos Santos, a mechanic from Sao Paulo admits he had been drinking at Sorocaba Zoo when he decided to jump a fence and wade across a small moat to get closer to the Spider Monkeys.

Thinking the monkeys wanted to play, Joe stretched his arm out toward them, before realizing he was getting more than he bargained for.

Spider Monkeys can be extremely territorial when confronted, and they didn't take too kindly to Joao's intrusion into their enclosure.

When Joao reached for the monkeys, they grabbed hold of him and refused to let go; leaving him with severe scratches on his arms and back.

Another monkey then joined the fray, biting down on his shoulder, all while horrified tourists watched on.

Finally, Joao realized the monkeys were not trying to play with him, and backed away from them.

Disoriented, Joao eventually found his way out of the enclosure and was dragged to safety by onlookers.

By the time he was rescued, My Dos Santos was bleeding profusely from his right arm and was in 'excruciating pain'. He was eventually taken to a local hospital and treated for his injuries.

To see shocking footage of the attack, watch the video below.