Botswana president injured in cheetah ‘attack’

President Ian Khama. AFP FILE PHOTO

GABORONE, Botswana — Botswana President Ian Khama has received two stitches in his face after being clawed by a cheetah, a government spokesman said Monday.

The incident occurred at a Botswana Defense Force barracks last week government spokesman Jeff Ramsay told AFP.

“He was scratched by a Cheetah last week but not really attacked per se,” Ramsay said.

The cheetah was being fed in an enclosure close to where Khama was standing and somehow managed to get its claw to the president’s face.

Khama was not admitted to hospital, but did receive treatment. He was seen last week with a plaster on his face.

Ramsay said there were no security implications to the attack and added that because of the minor nature of the injuries the government had initially decided not to issue a public statement.

Cheetahs are one of the few large cats not to have fully retractable claws. Far from being razor sharp the claws are more akin to those of a dog than a lion.