Cheetah claws Botswana President Ian Khama

Botswana President Ian Khama was attacked by a cheetah last week while visiting a military base at the Botswana Defense Force barracks.

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.

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.