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A man who tried to shoot an armadillo because it was 'on his property' found himself in hospital when the bullet bounced off the animal and hit him in the face.

The Texan spotted the small animal and went to fetch his .38 revolver at 3am in a bid to kill the 'trespasser'.

He opened fire on the animal, shooting three times, with at least one of the bullets ricocheting off the creature's hard shell and hitting him in the jaw.

The man was airlifted to a nearby hospital in the city of Texarkana where police said his jaw had to be wired shut.

Unfortunately, it is not currently known whether the armadillo survived as it hasn't been traced since the June 29 incident.

Sheriff Larry Rowe of Cass County Police said: "His wife was in the house. He went outside and took his .38 revolver and shot three times at the armadilllo."

He added: "We didn't find the armadillo."

And it's not the first time an armadillo has fought back.

In April, a man tried to shoot dead the creature but the bullet bounced back and hit his mother-in-law instead.