Cheetah claws face of Botswana's president in 'freak accident&am

USPA News - Botswana`s President Ian Khama was treated for minor facial injuries last week after he was clawed by a cheetah while visiting a park near the capital Gaborone, a government spokesman said on Monday. He did not require hospitalization.

The incident occurred early last week when Khama was visiting the Botswana Defence Force Animal Awareness Park near Gaborone. Government spokesman Jeff Ramsay said it happened when the cheetah, which was being fed, jumped up at the fence of its enclosure and reached for the 60-year-old leader. Khama, who appeared with abrasions and a plaster on his face during a public appearance on Thursday, received two stitches near his nose but did not require hospitalization. It was not immediately clear why the news was not disclosed for nearly a week, but Ramsay described the incident as a "freak accident" and not an attack. The cheetah is faster than any other land animal and is capable of running up to 120 kilometers (74 miles) per hour. The Botswana Defence Force Animal Awareness Park was established in 1989 by Khama himself, who was the force`s commander at the time. The park is currently host to more than a dozen different species, including lions, spotted hyenas, wild dogs, leopards, and numerous snakes.