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29 March 2024

Marmot wins night duel against shepherd

The marmot bit off part of the shepherd's finger (SUPPLIED)

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By Staff

A hungry marmot attracted by the smell of fresh meat sneaked into a tent in a remote area in Saudi Arabia, grabbed the piece and began biting greedily, ignoring the snoring shepherd sleeping on the nearby mattress.

Disturbed by the gnawing and sensing danger, the shepherd quickly stood up and jumped on the animal to salvage what is left of his food.

Instead of fleeing, the marmot, a small burrowing animal of the squirrel family, fought back savagely and bit off part of the shepherd finger. The shepherd ran for his large sheep stick and lunged back on the marmot, which surprisingly did not flinch. Instead it hissed and bared its teeth.

“In the end, the shepherd realised he was losing the battle…so he ran towards another tent, leaving the marmot to enjoy the usurped meal,” the Saudi Sharq newspaper said in a report from the central town of Alkharma.

“After the animal left, the shepherd was taken to a nearby medical centre for treatment.”