https://www.pinkbike.com/news/mountain-biker-in-spain-shot-after-being-mistaken-for-a-rabbit.html
12/09/2021
A mountain biker was shot with dozens of pellets after being mistaken for a rabbit by a hunter in Alicante, Spain, theolivepress reports
Miguel Toran had just passed a pair of hunters on his ride but was then mistakenly shot by a third a few metres later. Torna was in colourful kit and wearing a helmet while riding on the Monte Orgergia forest trail, which is popular with riders and walkers. The hunter discharged a cartridge that contained hundreds of pellets and left Toran with impacts on his buttocks, lower back and legs. Fortunately, no major organs were hit but paramedics later removed 20 pellets that had become embedded in Toran’s skin.
Local emergency services were called and although the cyclist was not taken to hospital, his wounds are being monitored by doctors to see if further treatment is necessary. The hunter told the police that he had confused the movement of the cyclist with that of a rabbit and admitted that he shot him with a cartridge, which contains a high number of pellets, which corroborates with the victim’s testimony.
Toran believes that the incident was a genuine accident but he is still considering a complaint against the hunter. The hunter had a shooting license but could still be charged with recklessness.
As hunters and mountain bikers share the same environment, unfortunately incidents between the two groups have happened before, often with the mountain bikers ending up worse off. In 2018, a British rider was killed in Morzine by a hunter’s stray bullet and a similar tragic incident happened in Lapland last year.