An elderly couple miraculously survived 11 gunshots fired at them by robbers in the bedroom of their Pretoria home.

Magda and Niek Hugo, both 75, who live at and run a business on the premises of the Sun Eden Naturist Resort, were asleep in the early hours of Wednesday morning when armed attackers broke into their home, Beeld reported.

Marius Mok, spokesman for the neighbourhood watch in the area, said the Hugos were alerted to the break-in by their squawking parrot.

They locked themselves in their bedroom, but the attackers broke the door down and fired 11 times at the old couple, it was reported.

“We suspect there were more than two burglars, because nine shots were fired with a shotgun, and two were fired with 9 mm pistol,” Mok said.  

Daniel Rheeder, Hugo’s son-in-law, said his mother-in-law was hit once in the right arm, and his father-in-law was shot in the hand.

Niek Hugo managed to grab his pistol and fire back at the intruders, who fled.

“They’re both in the Montana hospital, doing fine,” Rheeder said.