A walk like any other with a dog on a leash in a public park. Then, within moments, the attack, first on the puppy, then on his owner. The culprit? Not a fox, nor a stray dog, but a nutria. An unusual story, which months later continues to leave serious consequences: two severed tendons and a nerve, a lengthy hospital stay, cycles of physical therapy, and another operation on the horizon. "At 28, I find myself without a functioning hand." This is the story of Bianca Fusco, a former Miss Sardinia from Cagliari, and her dog Liquirizia.
The story
"I was walking with my boyfriend in Nervi Park when my dog approached a bush. Then I heard him screaming." Without understanding what had happened, Bianca bends down to pick him up. "The nutria jumped on me. It latched onto my hand and completely pierced it." The most serious injuries were on her left hand, but the bites also reached her legs and thighs. "I didn't immediately realize how serious the injury was. I was only thinking about the dog: he was covered in blood and I was afraid he would die. Only when I handed him over to my boyfriend did I look at my hand and find it completely open."
The consequences
The bite severed two tendons and a nerve. "I lost sensation and much of the mobility of my index finger, then my thumb. I thought a few stitches would be enough, but instead it began a very painful journey." Emergency hospitalization, surgery, a cast, and physical therapy. But they weren't enough to restore full functionality to her hand. "I can't fully clench or unclench it. Even picking up a glass or closing the car door have become complicated," she says, a hint of pain showing beneath her smile. She will have a second operation in the coming months. "It terrifies me, but I can't stay like this." A model and certified teacher, the accident has also had repercussions on her work. "I had to put a lot of activities on hold. Between rehabilitation, visits, and checkups, it's been difficult to get back to normal."
«It must not happen again»
The young woman, however, is keen to clarify one point: "I have nothing against coypus. I've also received a lot of insults on social media because some people thought I was demonizing these animals, but that's not the case." What she's asking for is a reflection on the management of wildlife in public areas. "The problem isn't the coypus, but the management. In a public park, you shouldn't risk coming home with a seriously injured hand. If in my place it had been a child reaching into a bush to retrieve a ball, the consequences could have been much worse."
