In a reversal of roles, a Canadian seal hunter is recovering from injuries he received when a seal he was hunting turned and attacked him.
Quebec resident Alexis Boudreault, 29, was among nine hunters on Pictou Island when the unprecedented attack occurred, authorities say. Because officers from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans had confiscated Boudreault's seal-hunting club for not meeting specifications, he was unarmed when the 500-pound seal lunged at him. "I wanted to back up," Boudreault says.
"Usually, a seal might strike, advancing to protect its territory. But this time, exceptionally, the seal charged. He didn't stop. I slipped on the ice while turning around, he grabbed my leg and threw me over him."
Several hunters from Boudreault's group eventually managed to scare off the aggressive animal, but not before it bit him several times. He was airlifted to a hospital, where he received 26 stitches to close the wounds. According to the Canadian Press, the incident marked the first time in 45 years that a seal has attacked a human.