A man accidentally shot himself while trying to protect his chickens from hawks in Cunupia on Wednesday afternoon.
Reports state that at around 5:00pm, a 52-year-old man was at his home along Warren road in Cunupia when he heard a commotion in his backyard.
When he went to investigate, he observed some hawks flying over his chicken pen.
In a bid to scare off the hawks, the man armed himself with his licensed sportsman rifle and climbed a tree to shoot at the hawks.
However, while in the process of climbing, one of the branches got caught in the trigger mechanism, and a loud explosion was heard.
The man then felt a burning sensation to his abdomen and realized he had been shot.
He raised an alarm and was taken to Mt Hope Hospital where he was treated and listed in stable condition.