Maria Schelin said her young daughter, Nova, was playing in her backyard sandbox when the young elk calf, which had apparently become intoxicated by eating yeasted apples, approached the toddler aggressively, Swedish news agency TT reported Wednesday.

"It bit me on the arm," Nova said after the confrontation.

Schelin said she reacted quickly to rescue her child.

"I suddenly heard a loud scream. I threw myself over the hedge, grabbed Nova and ran back into the house," she said..

The elk was shot by a group of hunters when it returned to the area later in the day. Residents said they did not want to take any chances with the beast after it attacked the toddler.