Botswana president injured in cheetah 'attack'

GABORONE, Botswana - Agence France-Presse

The cheetah, the world's fastest land animal, survived mass extinction during the last ice age 10,000 years ago. But it has taken just the last few decades for man to place the hunter on the endangered species list, with experts warning it could disappear from the wild by 2030. AFP PHOTO / CHRISTOPHE BEAUDUFE

Botswana President Ian Khama has received two stitches in his face after being clawed by a cheetah, local media reported Monday.

The incident occurred at a Botswana Defence Force barracks last week, the Sunday Standard reported on its website, quoting government spokesman Jeff Ramsay.

Ramsay said it was a "freak accident, but not an attack".

The cheetah was reportedly 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 real security implications", adding that because of the minor nature of the injuries the government had initially decided not to issue a public statement.