A dog refused to be prey for a pack of hungry wolves in the snowy landscape of Abruzzo in southern Italy.
The startling footage captured by local Paolo Forconi shows the golden dog in the distance as he is hunted down by three menacing wolves.
The wolves have got the higher ground and appear to have cornered the poor dog – he is stuck between a wire fence below him and the wolves on high.
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The dog makes a mad dash along the fence, but one of the wolves bites his ankle, slowing him down, as the other two wolves dash ahead, looking to encircle him.
But just before it looks like he’s done for, the dog manages to escape through a hole in the fence. The large wolves can’t follow him and give up the chase.
Watch the dog’s incredible escape in the video below.
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It’s an incredibly close call for the dog, who is likely a livestock guardian or other working dog on a ranch.
According to Forconi, wolves used to be a rarity in the area but in recent years the animals have begun to hunt pets, and livestock like goats and chickens out of hunger, in addition to their usual prey of deer.
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