What do punching an eel in the head, emptying a mousetrap and cutting an alpaca's nails have in common?
It's not the start of a terrible joke - each left Kiwis with injuries last year.
More than 50,000 people made ACC claims for animal-related injuries in 2013/2014, including everything from shark attacks, seal bites and even a laceration under an eye caused by a passing magpie.
About $20 million was claimed and dog and horse-related injuries proved most costly, according to ACC figures released to NZ Newswire.
The dog attacks included a canine running into a person's leg, causing it to be twisted, and another hitting a person in the face.
The injuries ranged from cat scratches to more bizarre situations, such as a Kiwi who was injured while attempting to kill an eel by punching it in the head.
A beachgoer was bitten by a seal on their bum cheek and a fisherman suffered baby shark bites to their toes through shoes.
Of the 284 Kiwis hurt by pigs, one was head-butted by an escaping beast while another suffered back pain after lifting a particularly heavy porker.
Some New Zealanders were injured while helping out their animal friends, including a person who was bitten while saving a mouse from a cat, and another who was kicked while trimming an alpaca's nails.
Cattle, horse and sheep may account for a large proportion of the claims, but ACC said it was due to the greater numbers of those animals in the country and not a cause for alarm.
"The number of cattle, sheep and horse related injuries is proportional, and not because these animals present a greater danger," it said in a statement.
ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS - HOW MUCH WAS CLAIMED LAST YEAR
- Cattle - $3.5 million (4284 claims)
- Dog - $5.9 million (18,551 claims)
- Horse - $6.6 million (8177 claims)
- Sheep - $2.2 million (3246 claims)
- Insects - $1 million (14,166 claims)
AFP
source: newshub archive
