a woman had her skin torn during a capybara attack in Florianópolis

• Found tied up: Police investigate whether internet company employees killed for failing to pay ‘fees’ to drug traffickers in Bahia
• Town Hall employee: A man dies while felling a tree in the southern zone of São Paulo

According to Fabiana, the attack caused moments of panic and could have had even more serious consequences. This Thursday, ten days later, the psychologist removed the stitches from his arm and stomach, and took care of the dressings at home.

She told GLOBO that she was camping with her boyfriend and they decided to go diving in the lagoon. The attack was rapid: after a few minutes, she felt the impact on her stomach, which she defined as a “very strong tear”, until she was taken out of the water by her partner. She was rescued by helicopter by military firefighters and taken to the Polydoro Ernani University Hospital in São Thiago, where the sutures were performed.

— My intestine was almost perforated, it was the area most at risk. I had the nerve in my leg exposed and almost lost my mobility. It was terrifying. I am progressing very well, I have been very well supported by the public health services here in Florianópolis.

At the hospital, she underwent tests and CT scans, in addition to receiving rabies shots and following a protocol with antibiotics, painkillers and antivirals. The psychologist described the moment of the attack as a “nightmare” and a “horror film”.

— At first I didn’t understand what was happening, but shortly after, the capybara came out of the water and tried to attack me in the upper part of my body, then attacked me on the butt. It was very quick, about eight seconds. I was very afraid of dying, because of the visibly serious situation – he reported.

Fabiana reported that the first days of healing were the most critical, but with her own body’s positive response, she felt more “confident, strong-willed and at ease”, retreating into her feelings by writing poetry.

In a note sent to g1, the Municipal Foundation for the Environment (Floram) specifies that this is an isolated case and that capybara attacks are rare. According to the agency, the animal could have reacted because it would have been surprised by the presence of the woman in the water, an environment used by the species as a refuge and for reproduction.

“Unexpected proximity situations in this context can trigger defense reactions, especially when the animal perceives imminent risk. It should be noted that this is not predatory behavior, since the capybara is a strictly herbivorous species,” Floram explained.