According to eyewitness accounts, the incident occurred when Arthur Sedov, known in the fishing community of Kyrgyzstan as "The Asian Traveler", was fishing for trout at one of the fish farms near Tokmok. Muskrats are common in this area, and local fishermen even complain that these animals, by digging burrows, cause water breaches in the dams. "When I noticed that a muskrat had caught on my hook, I decided to carefully pull it to the shore to free it. It was difficult because it was tangled in algae. I used a stick to get it out and clean it off, and then I tried to unhook it.
However, when Arthur approached the calm creature, the muskrat unexpectedly lunged at him and bit his finger. "I got off easy, but the bite was painful, and there was a bleeding spot on my finger. When I got home, I treated the wound and realized that the consequences could have been serious," Arthur shared his concerns.
Ecologist Alexander Sosnovsky noted that any wild animal can be a carrier of dangerous diseases, including rabies. "Wolves, stray dogs, jackals, foxes, hedgehogs, muskrats, and rats can carry the rabies virus. Therefore, catching wild animals and especially bringing them home is highly discouraged," the specialist warns.
Arthur, aware of all the risks, went to a hospital in Bishkek the day after the incident, where he was prescribed a course of rabies vaccinations. Now he will need to receive shots for several months.
Despite the incident, the sport fisherman is confident that this will not stop him from his plans to travel to the Indian Ocean to fulfill his dream of catching a shark. He believes he can continue his vaccination course during this trip.
