It is actors who are advised against working with animals and children so it came as a surprise when a movie make-up artist had the uncomfortable experience of a monkey nibbling on her ear.

Paramedics say the 54-year-old woman was sitting on a sound stage on the Gold Coast, where the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie is being filmed, when the monkey attacked her.

“We believe that the monkey had come up behind the lady and then bit her on her right ear,” Queensland Ambulance Service supervisor Stephen Burns said.

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It is believed the monkey was part of the Pirates of the Caribbean film set, although Mr Burns said the sound stage where the attack took place was being used for a different movie.

Paramedics were able to control the bleeding and transported the woman to the Allamanda Private Hospital in a stable condition.

It is not known whether the monkey is Capuchin monkey Jack, which has been a sidekick to Geoffrey Rush’s character Hector Barbosa in each of the Pirates instalments.

Jack has already made headlines in Australia after strict biosecurity laws forced him to be placed in quarantine after his arrival in Queensland last year.

It is not the only quarantine headache to dog the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

Johnny Depp’s Yorkshire terriers, Pistol and Boo, were hounded out of Australia in May after they arrived in Brisbane on the star actor’s private jet without being declared to Customs.

Biosecurity Queensland has been advised of the monkey attack and has been in contact with the film company, a spokeswoman said.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said the incident highlighted why live animals should not be used on movie sets.

#BREAKING: Woman being treated after monkey attack at Movie World studios, site of Depp’s Pirates filming. #9News pic.twitter.com/TWXycr0Vr7

— Nine News Brisbane (@9NewsBrisbane) June 30, 2015