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"When you put your hand in a fence where there is a lion, you will get bitten."

For most people that's good advice. Unfortunately for Wales and Ospreys hooker Scott Baldwin the advice came a little too late.

That's because they are the wise words of Baldwin's boss Steve Tandy, after the 29-year-old missed his team's latest Pro14 fixture because he had been bitten by a lion.

While trying to pet it.

"There was an incident with a lion, but in fairness it was nothing to do with the lion," Tandy said, clearly keen to absolve the big cat of any blame.

'You can't pat a lion on the head as if it's a kitten'

The incident happened during a team trip to Weltevrede Game Lodge on the outskirts of Bloemfontein, before the Ospreys' Pro14 match against their appropriately named hosts, the Cheetahs.

Everyone present on the visit was, according to Tandy, given plenty of warning not to stick their hand into the lion's den.

Baldwin afterwards for his misadventure, saying: "Sorry all Ospreys fans for letting you and the team down by missing the game through the bite!

"On the mend thankfully & should be up & running round soon enough thanks for your support & concern."

But it is fair to say Tandy was far from impressed with Baldwin's actions.

"It was pretty stupid on Scott's behalf and he is pretty lucky," said Tandy. "It had nothing to do with where we were.

"It was a good environment and we were told how far back to stand.

"I don't know what sort of wildlife show Scott has been watching where you can pat a lion on the head as if it's a kitten.

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

Baldwin should recover from his injury to fly back to Wales with the team, after receiving "a couple of stitches" to the wound.

Ospreys were beaten 44-25 in Bloemfontein in Friday's game, a fourth successive defeat.