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LEESBURG, Georgia — Authorities say a man shot an armadillo, but ended up accidentally wounding his mother-in-law when the bullet ricocheted off the mammal known for its hard shell.

Sheriff’s deputies tell WALB-TV that 54-year-old Larry McElroy fired his 9 mm pistol at the armadillo Sunday night in the southern state of Georgia.

Deputies say the bullet killed the armadillo, but bounced off the animal, hit a fence, travelled through the back door of the mother-in-law’s mobile home and the recliner in which she was sitting, striking her in the back.

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McElroy’s 74-year-old mother-in-law, Carol Johnson, suffered injuries described as non-life-threatening. Sheriff’s investigator Bill Smith said she was walking and talking afterward.

Sherriff’s deputies say McElroy was about 100 yards (90 metres) away from the home when he shot the armadillo.

And, it turns out county authorities actually encourage residents to shoot or trap troublesome armadillos.

“At first I ask if they live in the city or county, because shooting is an effective way of getting rid of them. However, you have to be safe when you do that,” James Morgan, the Dougherty County Extension Coordinator, told WALB-TV.