Proving that they truly are man’s best friend, a pack of dogs saved a 75 year-old Swedish man as he was being attacked by an angry elk. The unusual incident occurred in a fruit orchard in the northern Swedish town of Gallivare. When the elderly man tried to chase the elk out of his yard, the formidable animal turned on him, causing several minor injuries.
Fortunately for him, a pack of Norwegian elkhounds were on hand to drive the beast away. Living up to their name, the elkhounds broke free from their pen in the yard and came to the rescue of the man, chasing the aggressive elk into the forest. Had it not been for the dogs, the man’s injuries could have been much more severe.
Norbotten police spoke to the Aftonbladet newspaper about the event, saying: “He was in an orchard when the elk attacked. He ended up with a wound on his head and was taken to hospital.” After treatment, he was able to return home shortly after.
Local authorities are still unsure why the elk turned so violent on the man and attacked him. Police spokesperson Olle Kvarneros commented: “It’s unusual for elks to be this violent.” The elk’s whereabouts is presently unknown, and local police are mulling over whether or not they should hunt it down and kill it.