Ruby, 86, survives rooster rampage Ruby Roper, 86 was attacked by her rooster named Sherlock She is now recovering but hasn't been back in the pen. Pic Megan Slade Source: News Limited AT 86, Ruby Roper considered many ways she might "leave this life," but says a rampaging rooster was not one of them. The great-grandmother from Curra, north of Gympie, is still recovering from a shocking attack by a fierce fowl she bought to protect her hens from magpies. "It was quite unexpected," she told The Sunday Mail. I have lived around chickens all my life and never ever saw a rooster go at anyone like it went at me. He is a beautiful, big bird, but scary. The dogs have always been afraid of him. Mrs Roper was feeding kitchen scraps to her hens like she had done countless times, when she accidentally stepped on one. She said it squawked and the rooster, Sherlock, "went mad." He starting making a terrifying noise I had not heard before and came at me. I pushed my wheelie walker at him, but he got around it and began to strike at my legs. Sherlock the foul rooster who attacked Ruby Roper. Pic Megan Slade Even through my long pants his spurs had made two puncture holes and blood streamed out. Mrs Roper made it back to the house and contacted her granddaughter who came out from Gympie. She called an ambulance and paramedics said it was one of their more unusual call-outs. Mrs Roper required a transfusion due to blood loss and spent more than a week in hospital. Her daughter Lynne Partridge said the freak attack last month had almost claimed her mother's life with the stress leading to a heart attack. It was a close call. Her blood pressure was dangerously low," she said. We had a family reunion recently and I'm glad we did because you just don't know what can happen. Ruby Roper, 86 was attacked by her rooster named Sherlock. Sherlock will not be destroyed as the family considers "he was only doing his job," but will have the spurs on his legs removed. He has become known throughout the region as "the rampaging rooster," with a cartoon in the local paper showing Gympie finally had a fearsome creature to match nearby Maryborough's Mary River crocodile. Mrs Roper, who was raised in the country along the Richmond River in NSW and also lived on rural properties near Coffs Harbour, said she would like others to be aware of the damage roosters can do. "I have thought of a lot of ways to leave this life, but I never thought a rooster (attack) could be one of them," she said. I will never forget how he crowed after it happened. He was so pleased with himself and it was like he was saying 'I beat you'. Sherlock, bought from a property at Gunalda, is a Plymouth Rock. This popular breed, developed in the United States in the middle of the 19th century, is described as an outstanding farm chicken due to its hardiness, docility, broodiness, and excellent production of both eggs and meat. He looms as a rogue strain with a "son of Sherlock" also showing signs of aggression. Mrs Roper's grandson had to get rid of the bird, nicknamed "Russell Crowe." "He said it was knocking the dog around and he was worried about threatening his children," she said.