A stranded hiker ate his beloved dog so he could survive, reports have claimed.
Marco Lavoie was rescued after surviving a bear attack and spending three months, exposed to snow and freezing temperatures, in a desolate corner of northern Canada, police have said.
The devastating bear attack destroyed Mr Lavoie's canoe and other essential supplies before the hiker's loyal German Shepherd helped chase off the wild animal, according to CNN.
With no food to survive, a few days after the attack the experienced hiker was forced to use a rock to kill his dog and eat it, the QMI news agency reported.
Police located the 44-year-old in the wilderness near Waskaganish, Quebec, on Wednesday, 10 days after his family reported him missing and nearly a month after the experienced outdoorsman was expected to return from a two month hiking expedition.
Police believe Lavoie survived the bear attack uninjured, sometime in August, when his dog got in between the man and the bear, Sgt. Ronald McInnis, spokesman for the Quebec Provincial Police told ABCNews.com.
"The bear ate the man's food and damaged his survival equipment," said McInnis, "But his dog went between the man and the bear and protected him. The man was not injured in the attack."
McInnis would not say what became of the dog and would not comment on reports that Lavoie may have eaten the dog to survive.
Lavoie suffered "hypothermia, dehydration and starvation," police said, along with losing half of his body weight, but he is expected to survive his injuries.
Officials believed the man would have been dead within hours had he not been rescued. He was too weak to eat or drink water and is receiving fluids via IV.
Police are waiting for the man to further recover in order to continue their interview and learn exactly why he was unable to escape the wilderness and the measures he took to survive.