A hard-as-nails hare has survived a car accident after it was hit so hard it went through the front grille and became lodged behind it.
The remarkable incident took place in the early hours in Kirchberg am Wagram in the Austrian state of Lower Austria when the motorist, whose name was not reported, hit the hare full-on at the middle of the road.
The impact was so great that the hare somehow smashed right through the front grille and became trapped behind it, as seen in one of the photos.
Reports said that the driver alerted the fire brigade after spotting that the animal was still alive.
Firefighters managed to bend the car’s grille and pull the hare out by its legs.
A fire brigade spokesman said: “As it didn’t suffer any visible injuries, the resisting animal was wrapped in a blanket and taken to a dirt road near St. Hubert’s Chapel.
“From there the rabbit hopped off towards the crack of dawn.”
Earlier this week, a German duck survived a similar collision with a car and was driven over 12 miles while stuck in the grille.
The driver, whose name was not reported, was driving between the cities of Schwerte and Hagen in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia when he hit the duck.
Only after driving a further 12 miles to his home in Hagen did the driver suddenly spot the duck being stuck between the number plate of his Toyota and the car’s grille.
The driver immediately freed the bird which appeared to be injured.
The duck was brought to the Paasmuehle shelter for wild birds in the nearby town of Hattingen where it was checked by a veterinarian.
Shelter chief Thorsten Kestner said: “The drake just has a few bruises and lost a few feathers, nothing was broken.
“That is more than just luck, he is pretty tough.”
Local media immediately nicknamed the animal ‘Duck Norris’ after the American actor and martial arts expert Chuck Norris, 79.
Duck Norris will remain at Kestner’s shelter for a few more days before the bird carer sets him free in a nearby pond.
To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below.
Story By: Koen Berghuis, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
