Video - Baldwin apologises for being bitten by lion...and posts new video of incident

Ospreys hooker Scott Baldwin has issued an apology to the club's fans following the bizarre incident that saw him bitten by a lion and ruled out of Friday's Pro14 defeat to the Cheetahs.

Wales international Baldwin sustained a hand injury that required stitches when he made the mistake of trying to stroke the animal on Wednesday, during a visit to a game lodge ahead of his team's match in Bloemfontein.

Baldwin was criticised by Ospreys head coach Steve Tandy, who said: "When you put your hand in a fence where there is a lion, then you will get bitten. It was pretty stupid on Scott's behalf and he is pretty lucky.

"It's probably one of the silliest things I've even been involved in, but thankfully he is okay and hopefully he will be back up and running in the next couple of weeks."

Baldwin duly apologised for the incident, while seemingly retaining his sense of humour.

"Sorry all Ospreys fans for letting you and the team down by missing the game through the bite," he wrote on Twitter.

"Should of know [sic] he [the lion] wouldn't be impressed with me stroking his lioness before introducing myself to him first.

"And for those asking my hand in [sic] on the mend thankfully & should be up & running round soon enough. Thanks for your support & concern."

On the morning after the embarrassing incident, Baldwin's Wikipedia page featured an amusing amendment, with the 29-year-old described as "a Welsh international rugby union player and amateur lion tamer".