In a startling incident in broad daylight, a retired nurse faced a terrifying encounter with a rabid fox in her own front yard. The shocking footage captured the moment when Sherri Russo was pounced on and viciously bitten by the frenzied mammal.
She feared for her life, thinking she would be ‘eaten alive.’ Desperately trying to defend herself, she kicked and shook the fox repeatedly to free herself from its attack. The traumatizing experience left her so frightened that she couldn’t bring herself to leave her house for an entire week.
In a relentless assault last month, a determined grey fox clung on to the 61-year-old, sinking its fangs into her leg and hand during the frenzied attack, which lasted almost 30 seconds.
Fortunately, a heroic neighbor armed with a large stick rushed to the scene, causing the fox to release its grip on a screaming Sherri before retreating.
The quick-thinking neighbor managed to get Sherri into his car and rushed her to the hospital. There, medical staff attended to the 16 puncture wounds on her left leg and right hand, cleaning and dressing them to prevent infection.
To safeguard against potential rabies exposure, Sherri received the first of four rabies vaccines, a tetanus shot, immune globulin injections, and was prescribed a course of antibiotics to tackle any infection that might arise.
During her hospital treatment, authorities managed to capture and euthanize the fox. Subsequent tests at a nearby veterinary college confirmed that the fox had indeed tested positive for rabies.
The traumatic ordeal left Sherri deeply frightened, to the point that she couldn’t leave her house for an entire week. Now, she is advocating for increased awareness among people about their surroundings and the presence of animals in their community. By sharing her harrowing experience, she hopes to remind others to stay vigilant and cautious, especially when encountering wild animals.
Sherri, who resides in Caroline, New York, US, recounted, “I was so fearful that he was going to knock me over, he was going to attack my face and I was going to be eaten in my front yard.”
