A woman from South Australia has died following an attack by her pet rooster. We know few details about the deceased, aside from the fact that she was an elderly woman, according to The Advertiser. Her identity has been kept private from the press out of respect for her loved ones.
The late woman reportedly sustained fatal injuries from the animal while she was collecting eggs from the chicken coop in her garden. The creature allegedly punctured a varicose vein which caused the woman to bleed, and ultimately lead to her death.
The shocking incident has prompted a public warning about the dangers that animals - who are seemingly harmless - can potentially put us in.
Per The Advertiser, forensics expert Professor Roger Byard from Adelaide University delved into a similar case in which another elderly woman passed away after a cat scratched her leg.
Professor Byard’s study on the risks that apparently innocuous animals pose was recently published in the Journal of Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology. A particular focus was on the risks for elderly people with varicose veins.
Professor Byard told The Advertiser:
"Most importantly I’m trying to get elderly people have varicose veins treated with a simple operation because they are especially vulnerable to being broken.
It is not just to animal attack, because we have done studies that show people have just been around their homes and bled to death by knocking their leg and the vein on something.
For example, cats are a very common tripping hazard for the elderly around the house that they may never think of. Cats like to rub against ankles and legs, as well as sit behind people and commonly lead to tripping injuries in the elderly."
We offer our sincerest condolences to the family of the woman, and those affected by the incident.
