A cyclist has been sprayed with dozens to shotgun pellets to his buttocks and legs after a hunter fired on him, claiming he mistook the rider for a rabbit.
A medical examination determined pellets from the shotgun cartridge fired by the hunter were also embedded in the cyclist's back.
The incident occurred last Sunday as the cyclist was out for a ride in the rural area of Orgegia, in Alicante, southern Spain.
While the cyclist was knocked from his bike and needed emergency medical treatment at the scene of the shooting, local media reports suggest his injuries are not life-threatening and his recovery is now underway.
The cyclist was riding through Monte Orgegia - which is a rural area but very close to the urban centre of Alicante and high density neighborhoods - when he spotted two hunters.
Advertisement
Related News
As he passed them, he was shot by a third hunter who has told the police he mistook the cyclist's movement through the countryside for that of a rabbit.
When the shot was fired at him and he was sprayed with pellets, the cyclist still managed to ring 112 to call for an ambulance and the police, with both services going to the scene.
The hunter was identified and his gun and hunting permits were found to be in place, though police are still trying to gather facts to determine if a criminal investigation could result in recklessness-based charges.
When he was spoken to by the police the hunter admitted he had fired the shot but said he believed the moving target he was aiming at was a rabbit.
The local police officers working on the case were now drawing up a report on the incident. It was due to go to the court of duty in the region and to the national police as part of determining if an investigation was required into alleged recklessness.
