Daily London
Paramedics rushed to a homestead in Romsey, 60 kilometres north of Melbourne in the Macedon Ranges, about 6am after reports of an “animal related incident”.
Brad Fishlock, 51, had come to the aid of one of his baby alpacas as it was being attacked by a fox.
The fox then attacked Mr Fishlock, sinking its teeth into the inside of his thigh.
Advanced life support paramedics treated him for lower body injuries and he was taken to Northern Hospital in a stable condition.
He underwent emrgency surgery on a deep wound on his leg this afternoon.
Paramedics who attended the scene at the time that he was lucky not to have severed an artery.
Exotic wildlife veterinarian Dr Nicole Su said attacks on humans by foxes were “really out of the ordinary”.
“Unfortunately we are seeing [foxes] encroaching onto more and more urban areas and we’re having more sightings as well, and what we are seeing is they are getting bolder,” she said.
“This is the first time I’ve heard of such a bad attack on a person, but I have heard of chickens snatched out of their coops, rabbits snatched out of their enclosures.”
She warned anyone who encounters aggressive behaviour from the animals to report it to their local council.
“We are really careful to warn pet owners that this is a really big risk, even if you’re living in the inner city of Melbourne, we still do hear it happening with these guys,” she said.
“If they are, let’s say, coming into your backyard, or if you’ve got pets that you’re worried about, lights and noises, those are gonna be the best things to scare them away.”
9News met the Fishlock family in 2006 when Tyler Fishlock lost his sight in both of his eyes to cancer before his fourth birthday.
Tyler went on to face another two cancer battles.
