Even by Welsh rugby's standards it was a story worthy of a double-take.
Player misses match after lion bites his hand...such was Ospreys hooker Scott Baldwin's fate when he got a little too close to one of the big cats on a team visit to a South African wildlife park ahead of a match against the Cheetahs in September 2017.
While some laughed at the bizarre tale there was very a serious side to it - Baldwin sustained an extremely nasty gash that became infected and required surgery to put right.
Had it not been for that surgical intervention, Baldwin's career could well have been in jeopardy.
Fast forward 18 months and the Welsh international front row man, who is joining Harlequins next season, helped the region to a 31-14 win against the Cheetahs on Saturday.
And after the match, Baldwin presented surgeon Faf Weyers, the man who saved his rugby future on the operating table, by presenting him with his jersey.
"Far literally saved my hand, thank you my man," Baldwin said on social media.
At the time of the incident Baldwin underlined just how worrying the situation became .
He said: "The infection was a major issue. The next day it started tracking up my arm. The surgeon said there was a chance I could lose my hand."
