Wales hooker Baldwin feared losing left hand after lion bite
ByReuters
Published 17/10/2017 at 05:18 GMT
Oct 17 (Reuters) - Wales hooker Scott Baldwin has said he feared losing his left hand to an infection after being bitten while petting a lion in South Africa last month.
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The 29-year-old was described as "stupid" by Ospreys coach Steve Tandy after suffering the wound, which needed stitches, during a pre-match visit to a game park ahead of a Pro14 match against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.
"The infection was the major issue," the 29-year-old told the BBC. "The next day it started tracking up my arm. The surgeon said there was a chance I could lose my hand."
Baldwin underwent two operations in South Africa before flying to Swansea to consult a plastic surgeon and said he was extremely fortunate not to have sustained a worse injury.
"The bite went straight through the other side of the hand," Baldwin added.
"But I was really lucky it didn't hit any tendons or ligaments. The surgeon said it was like winning the lottery... it was the best possible outcome considering I had been bitten by a lion."
With his stitches out, Baldwin hopes to return to training in the coming week but will make a final call after meeting with his coach and medical teams. (Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru, editing by Nick Mulvenney)
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